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EP0789634B1 - Vereinzelungsvorrichtung sowie verfahren und vorrichtung zur klassifizierung von artikeln - Google Patents

Vereinzelungsvorrichtung sowie verfahren und vorrichtung zur klassifizierung von artikeln Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0789634B1
EP0789634B1 EP95937231A EP95937231A EP0789634B1 EP 0789634 B1 EP0789634 B1 EP 0789634B1 EP 95937231 A EP95937231 A EP 95937231A EP 95937231 A EP95937231 A EP 95937231A EP 0789634 B1 EP0789634 B1 EP 0789634B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
items
stream
discharge zone
scanning
streams
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95937231A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0789634A4 (de
EP0789634A1 (de
Inventor
Hamish Alexander Nigel Kennedy
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Horticultural Automation Ltd
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Horticultural Automation Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by Horticultural Automation Ltd filed Critical Horticultural Automation Ltd
Publication of EP0789634A1 publication Critical patent/EP0789634A1/de
Publication of EP0789634A4 publication Critical patent/EP0789634A4/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0789634B1 publication Critical patent/EP0789634B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07CPOSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/34Sorting according to other particular properties
    • B07C5/342Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour
    • B07C5/3422Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07CPOSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/36Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B07C5/361Processing or control devices therefor, e.g. escort memory

Definitions

  • This invention relates to article grading methods and apparatus and in particular but not solely to optical scanning methods and apparatus used in the grading and/or packaging of fruit and/or vegetables.
  • Apparatus for the grading of fruit which included a fast moving single stream grading conveyor with an endless circuit of carriers or cups for holding individual items of fruit. It is known to pass the fruit on the fast moving conveyor through an imaging zone, where while being rotated on the carriers or cups, the fruit are optically scanned to analyse for example the fruits' colour so that the fruit may for example be colour graded. It is also known to weigh each cup to ascertain the presence and, if present, the weight of items in each cup. This information may then be used to discharge the fruit carried by the individual cups into appropriate discharge lanes for packing.
  • Apparatus such as this has the disadvantage that for high speed operation the grading conveyor must move very rapidly and the scanning can produce blurred, fuzzy or less accurate images.
  • Apparatus for grading fruit which has a multiple stream singulator for supplying fruit to the single stream grading conveyor.
  • the multiple stream singulator has the desired effect of spreading fruit supplied to it in an even manner, such that fruit arriving at the single stream grading conveyor arrives in a fairly steady supply, and therefore the utilisation of the single stream grading conveyor, in terms of the number of filled cups per the total number of cups is higher than would be the case without the multiple stream singulator.
  • currently known multiple stream singulators have advancing rows of effective cups delivering fruit to a discharge zone from where the fruit is then received by the grading conveyor, and each row of fruit on the singulator is delivered to the discharge zone simultaneously, and consequently the fruit arrives at the discharge conveyor in bunches. This has the disadvantage of not being a particularly steady flow.
  • the multi-stream singulator as defined in the paragraph immediately above and further including apparatus for scanning items to be graded which includes
  • a plan elevation is shown of the relevant portion of apparatus for the grading of items, the apparatus shown is generally to be applied to fruit or vegetables, however items of other purpose may also be graded in the same manner.
  • Single stream grading conveyor 1 is shown for movement of attached cups 2 in the direction of arrow 8.
  • Attached cups 2 are preferably of the form shown and described in WO94/14547.
  • the preferred cups described in WO94/14547 have a cup-like depression formed from a bow-tie roller on one side and an angled cross member on the other side.
  • the cups are adapted to be individually actuable to discharge an item present in the cup-like depression to one or other sides of grading conveyor 1.
  • the grading conveyor 1 receives fruit from singulator 4 via discharge zone 3.
  • the singulator 4 has rotating shafts 5 with bow-tie rollers 6 mounted thereon, the shafts 5 attached to a chain conveyor (not shown), so that a conveyor is formed having multiple streams of effective cups 7, being the formed depressions between the forwardly adjacent rollers 6, the conveyor advancing the effective cups 7 to discharge zone 3.
  • the rollers 6 are caused, over at least some of the length of the singulating conveyor, to rotate in either a forwards or a backwards direction.
  • rollers 6 may be keyed, or otherwise non-rotatingly attached, to the shafts 5, and causing shafts 5 to rotate, for example by powering sprockets keyed to the shafts, or rotation of the rollers 6 may be achieved by having the rollers able to freely rotate relative to the shaft and causing each individual roller to rotate, for example by moving the rollers over a raised surface.
  • items are presented to singulator 4, where the rotating rollers 6 cause items to become evenly distributed across the width of singulating means 4 in effective cups 7, such that practically all items rest individually in an individual effective cup 7.
  • the process of singulation serves to distribute the presented items through the rotational movement of the rollers so that the items are distributed approximately entirely in to only one layer of items.
  • the items in effective cups 7 are advanced by the advancement of the conveyor forming singulator 4 to discharge zone 3 where the items are discharged from the effective cups 7 into discharge zone 3.
  • the items are then received by the cups 2 of single stream grading conveyor 1 whereon they are advanced in the direction of arrow 8 to eventually be discharged into discharge zones appropriate to each individual item as decided by a discharge control means.
  • singulating means 4 is able to advance at a considerably lesser speed than grading conveyor 1, due to multiple rows feeding only one row.
  • single stream grading conveyor 1 is advancing at a substantially faster speed than multiple stream singulator 4, it is preferable that the items, between being discharged at discharge zone 3 and being received at discharge zone 3 by the single stream grading conveyor, are accelerated to index the speed of travel of the items in discharge zone 3 with the speed of travel of the grading conveyor 1, at the point of reception by grading conveyor 1.
  • the items may be permitted to accelerate by free travel down a sloping surface, the length and gradient of the surface being calculated to provide appropriate acceleration so that approximately the desired speed is obtained, or for example discharge zone 3 may include an armadillo plate conveyor, the plates of the conveyor being substantially overlapping at its singulator end, and becoming less overlapping closer to the grading conveyor end, such that in plates advancing from the singulator end to the grading conveyor end the plates face effective acceleration from an initial speed, and consequently any items thereon also undergo acceleration.
  • Scanning zone 10 may for example have a digital camera 15 taking sequential frames of the entire scanning zone. To these ends, given the rotation of the items on the singulating conveyor 4, the sequential frames taken by the camera 15 allow several views of each item, of different rotational aspects, to be taken as the item progresses from entry into scanning zone 10 to moving out of scanning zone 10.
  • Other configurations for scanning zone 10 are possible, for example the zone may, rather than having only one camera covering the entire zone, have multiple cameras, each scanning a reduced section of the zone.
  • Other forms of scanning device are also possible for example the scanning device may involve use of ultrasound or could for example be an X-ray device.
  • the output of the camera or cameras or other optical scanning devices used in the scanning zone 10 is analysed to provide an indication of at least one discernable characteristic of each item on the singulating conveyor, the results of the analysis being fed to a discharge controller 14, which in the current form of the invention is for example, a computer program, so that the discharge controller may make use of the indication of the discernable characteristic of each item in controlling, via output 18, the discharge of each item from the grading conveyor.
  • the discernable characteristic of each item would be a visually discernable characteristic, for example the colouring of each item, and the discharge of each item from the grading conveyor may be weighted according to the coloration of each item.
  • means for associating the discernable characteristic for an item with the item's position on the single stream grading conveyor are provided.
  • the means for associating may take a number of forms. For example, with reference to Figure 3, video images may be taken by digital camera 17 of the discharge zone, at sufficient rate that items entering the discharge zone may be tracked through the discharge zone to their receipt onto single stream grading conveyor 1, the analysis of the tracking allowing mapping of a given item's position on singulating conveyor 4, and thereby the discernable characteristic of the item, to the item's position on single stream grading conveyor 1.
  • Means for serially determining the position may for example be a weighing means 16, the weighing means 16 weighing each individual cup, and thereby ascertaining the presence or absence of an item thereon, and thereby allowing association of the next ranked item of the series to be associated with the cup.
  • FIG. 2 and 4 Another form of means for associating in accordance with the invention is depicted in Figures 2 and 4. It can be seen in Figures 2 and 4 that the multiple streams of the singulator 4 are staggered, so that rather than multiple items arriving at discharge zone 3 simultaneously, the items arrive at discharge zone 3 serially, the series being preserved through the discharge zone, and therefore onto grading conveyor 1.
  • the use of means to serially determine the position on the grading conveyor of the items may be used to associate the discernable characteristic of each item with the item's position on the grading conveyor.
  • the form of singulating means shown in Figures 2 and 4 has the further advantage that items are not discharged from the singulating means to the discharge zone simultaneously, and therefore a more steady stream of items arrives at grading conveyor 1. It is considered that such a singulator is advantageous, and may be used in grading apparatus with or without the inclusion of scanning of items while on the singulator.
  • rollers 6 are provided on shafts 5 with approximately single roller spacings laterally provided between adjacent rollers on each shaft, so that the shafts may, when assembled to form a conveyor, form a series of laterally adjacent streams, each stream partially advanced (or partially delayed) compared to its laterally adjacent streams by approximately half of a cup period.
  • imaging of the items on the singulating conveyor provides the significant advantage that the items are travelling at a significantly slower speed and therefore blurring and fuzzing of images is reduced. Also, the high density of items on the singulating conveyor allows a single camera view to cover a larger number of items with each shot, and thereby it is possible to reduce the wastage of processor time in analysing redundant portions of an image.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
  • Discharge Of Articles From Conveyors (AREA)
  • Control Of Conveyors (AREA)

Claims (12)

  1. Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung (4), mit wenigstens zwei Strömen von Prüfschalen (7), dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß wenigstens einer der Ströme der Prüfschalen (7) eine Teil-Prüfschale vor den anderen Strömen der Prüfschalen (7) läuft,
    so daß das gleichzeitige Vorbewegen der Ströme der Prüfschalen (7) zu einer Entladezone (3) bewirkt, daß Gegenstände, die auf den Prüfschalen (7) des wenigstens eines sich teilweise vorbewegenden Stromes gehalten werden, nicht simultan mit Gegenständen abgeladen wird, die auf den Prüfschalen (7) der anderen Ströme getragen werden.
  2. Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie wenigstens zwei Ströme bogenartig gezogener Walzen (6) hat und in Vorwärtsrichtung benachbarte bogenförmig gezogene Walzen eine Prüfschale zwischen sich bilden.
  3. Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jeder Strom relativ zu seinen seitlich benachbarten Strömen, um ungefähr eine Zeitdauer einer halben Prüfschale (7) teilweise beschleunigt oder teilweise verzögert ist.
  4. Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie weiter eine Einrichtung zum Abtasten von Gegenständen, die klassiert werden sollen, aufweist, einschließlich
    einer Einrichtung zum Empfangen der aus der Entladezone (3) abgeladenen Gegenstände der Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung (4) auf einer Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1),
    einer Einrichtung zum Abtasten (15) der mehreren Ströme der Vielstrom-Vereinzelungsvorrichtung (4) auf wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft jedes • Gegenstandes hin und zum Zuführen von Ausgangssignalen aus dem Abtasten zur Entlade-Steuereinrichtung (14) der Einzelstrom-Klassiertransportvorrichtung (1) und
    eine Einrichtung, um für jeden Gegenstand die wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft des Gegenstandes der Position des Gegenstandes auf der Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1) zuzuordnen.
  5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Abtasten (15) ein optisches Abtasten ist und daß die wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft wenigstens eine visuell unterscheidbare Eigenschaft ist.
  6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 4 oder 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung eine Einrichtung umfaßt, um die mehreren Ströme zu der Entladezone (3) derart vorzubewegen, daß Gegenstände nacheinander in die Entladezone in einer vorbestimmten Reihenfolge eintreten, eine Einrichtung zum Einhalten der vorbestimmten Reihenfolge durch die Entladezone (3) und eine Einrichtung zum Empfangen der Gegenstände auf der Entlade-Fördereinrichtung (1) in der vorbestimmten Reihenfolge.
  7. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 4 oder 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung eine Einrichtung (17) zum optischen Abtasten der Entladezone (3), eine Einrichtung zum Verwenden des optischen Abtastens um Gegenstände durch die Entladezone (3) zu verfolgen, und eine Einrichtung zum Bestimmen der Reihenfolge, in der die Gegenstände auf der Klassier-Fördereinrichtung (1) empfangen werden, durch das Verfolgen der Gegenstände umfaßt.
  8. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 4 bis 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung eine Einrichtung zum aufeinanderfolgenden Wiegen der Gegenstände auf der Klassier-Fördereinrichtung hat, wobei die Zeitgebung des aufeinanderfolgenden Wiegens (16) die relative Beabstandung von Positionen in der Reihe angibt und
    eine Einrichtung zum Bestimmen der Position auf der Klassier-Fördereinrichtung (1) jedes Gegenstandes aus der Zeitgebung umfaßt.
  9. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 4 bis 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung
    eine Einrichtung zum Beschleunigen der Gegenstände in der Entladezone umfaßt, um die Geschwindigkeit der Gegenstände an der Schnittstelle zwischen der Entladezone (3) und der Klassier-Fördereinrichtung (1) zu der Geschwindigkeit der Klassier-Fördereinrichtung (1) zu indexieren.
  10. Verfahren zum Abtasten von Gegenständen, die klassiert werden sollen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es umfaßt
    Vorlegen der Gegenstände, die abgetastet und klassiert werden sollen, an eine Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4), die so ausgelegt ist, daß sie mehrere Ströme der Gegenstände, die auf Prüfschalen (7) vorliegen, zu einer Entladungszone (3) vorbewegt, wobei wenigstens einer der Ströme der Prüfschalen (7) eine Teil-Prüfschale (7) relativ zu seinen seitlich benachbarten Strömen vorläuft,
    Empfangen der von der Entladezone (3) entladenen Gegenstände der Vielfach-Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) auf einer Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1),
    Abtasten (15) der mehreren Ströme der Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) auf wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft jedes Gegenstandes hin und Zuführen von Ausgangssignalen aus dem Abtasten (15) zu einer Entlade-Steuereinrichtung (14) der Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1) und
    Sicherstellen, zwischen dem Entladen der Vielstrom-Vereinzelungseinrichtung an der Entladungszone (3) und der Aufnahme aus der Entladungszone durch die Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1), eines Einhaltens der Abfolge für die Gegenstände, die während des Abtastens der Gegenstände bestimmt worden ist.
  11. Vorrichtung zum Abtasten von Gegenständen, die klassiert werden sollen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie
    eine Einrichtung, um die Gegenstände, die abgetastet und klassiert werden sollen, einer Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) vorzulegen, die so ausgelegt ist, daß sie mehrere Ströme der Gegenstände, die auf Prüfschalen (7) vorliegen, zu einer Entladezone (3) vorzubewegen, wobei wenigstens einer der Ströme der Prüfschalen (7) eine Teil-Prüfschale (7) ist, die relativ zu seinen seitlich benachbarten Strömen voran ist,
    eine Einrichtung, um die abgeladenen Gegenstände aus der Entladezone (3) der Vielstrom-Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) auf einer Einzelstrom-Klassierförder-einrichtung (1) zu empfangen,
    eine Einrichtung (15), um die mehreren Ströme der Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) auf wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft jedes Gegenstandes abzutasten und Ausgangssignale von dem Abtasten an eine Entlade-Steuereinrichtung (14) der Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1) zu geben, und
    eine Einrichtung, um zwischen dem Entladen der Vielstrom-Vereinzelungseinrichtung (4) in der Entladezone (3) und dem Aufnehmen aus der Entladezone (3) durch die Einzelstrom-Klassierfördereinrichtung (1) eine Einhaltung der Abfolge für die Gegenstände einzuhalten, die während des Abtastens der Gegenstände festgelegt worden ist, umfaß.
  12. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Abtasten (15) optisches Abtasten ist und die wenigstens eine unterscheidbare Eigenschaft wenigstens eine visuell unterscheidbare Eigenschaft ist.
EP95937231A 1994-11-01 1995-11-01 Vereinzelungsvorrichtung sowie verfahren und vorrichtung zur klassifizierung von artikeln Expired - Lifetime EP0789634B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NZ26483594 1994-11-01
NZ26483594 1994-11-01
PCT/NZ1995/000113 WO1996013340A1 (en) 1994-11-01 1995-11-01 Article grading apparatus

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0789634A1 EP0789634A1 (de) 1997-08-20
EP0789634A4 EP0789634A4 (de) 1999-01-27
EP0789634B1 true EP0789634B1 (de) 2001-09-26

Family

ID=19924998

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95937231A Expired - Lifetime EP0789634B1 (de) 1994-11-01 1995-11-01 Vereinzelungsvorrichtung sowie verfahren und vorrichtung zur klassifizierung von artikeln

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0789634B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE206080T1 (de)
AU (1) AU703594B2 (de)
DE (1) DE69522952D1 (de)
ES (1) ES2164782T3 (de)
WO (1) WO1996013340A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2123422B1 (es) * 1996-07-03 1999-08-16 Amaducci Romana Procedimiento y dispositivo para clasificacion cromatica de productos.
JP2001225029A (ja) 2000-02-18 2001-08-21 Hiroshi Maeda オンライン内部品質検査用搬送装置
DE102010015839A1 (de) 2010-04-20 2011-10-20 Bizerba Gmbh & Co. Kg Steuerungsverfahren für einen Linienvereiniger
EP2711701B1 (de) 2012-09-21 2018-06-13 Wipotec Wiege- und Positioniersysteme GmbH Verfahren zum Durchleuchten von Produkten

Family Cites Families (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1212120A (en) * 1968-12-31 1970-11-11 Sphere Invest Ltd Position memory system
US4106628A (en) * 1976-02-20 1978-08-15 Warkentin Aaron J Sorter for fruit and the like
AU534616B2 (en) * 1977-12-16 1984-02-09 Ikanui Farms Ltd. Conveying articles into single file
US4482061A (en) * 1978-11-24 1984-11-13 Durand-Wayland, Inc. Apparatus and process for sorting articles
US4254877A (en) * 1979-11-05 1981-03-10 Fmc Corporation Weight sizing apparatus
US4726898A (en) * 1982-09-30 1988-02-23 Pennwalt Corporation Apparatus for spinning fruit for sorting thereof
GB8432340D0 (en) * 1984-12-21 1985-02-06 British Res Agricult Eng Singulator
US4717026A (en) * 1986-04-03 1988-01-05 Golden Aluminum Company Container scanning and accounting device
US5086909A (en) * 1988-09-23 1992-02-11 Powell Machinery, Inc. Gentle handling of fruit during weight sizing and other operations
US5170880A (en) * 1991-04-17 1992-12-15 Agri-Tech, Incorporated Soft drop singulating device
DE59200942D1 (de) * 1991-05-14 1995-01-26 Elpatronic Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Bearbeiten, insbesondere Codieren und/oder Prüfen, von Kunststoff-Flaschen od. dgl.
US5339963A (en) * 1992-03-06 1994-08-23 Agri-Tech, Incorporated Method and apparatus for sorting objects by color
JP3327703B2 (ja) * 1993-10-19 2002-09-24 マグネティック セパレイション システムズ インコーポレイテッド 不揃いな異種材料の分類装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69522952D1 (de) 2001-10-31
ATE206080T1 (de) 2001-10-15
AU703594B2 (en) 1999-03-25
ES2164782T3 (es) 2002-03-01
WO1996013340A1 (en) 1996-05-09
EP0789634A4 (de) 1999-01-27
EP0789634A1 (de) 1997-08-20
AU3939495A (en) 1996-05-23

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