JP2007021381A - Classifier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress lowering of classification performance while reducing cost. <P>SOLUTION: In the color classifier 10, good or defective grains are determined based on an image taken only from a front side of the grains G by a camera 28, to classify good grains from defective ones by an ejector 40. Therefore, only one expensive camera 28 is used to reduce cost. Grains G are sent to the first delivery part 22 of a vibration feeder 20 by a first elevator 16 and a first tank 18 to be primarily classified by the camera 28 and ejector 40 via a delivery roller 26, and then sent to a second delivery part 24 of the vibration feeder 20 by a second elevator 52 and a second tank 54 to be secondarily classified by the camera 28 and ejector 40 via the delivery roller 26. Thus, lowering of the classification performance can be suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorter for sorting particles.

  As a color sorter, the grain is photographed from the front and back surfaces by a front camera and a rear camera, and the grain is sorted into a good product and a defective product based on the image (color) of the grain photographed by the front camera and the rear camera. There are some (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, this color sorter includes two expensive cameras, a front camera and a rear camera. For this reason, although the sorting performance is high, it is expensive and unsuitable for farming.
JP 2003-156447 A

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a sorter that can suppress a reduction in sorting performance while reducing costs.

  The sorting machine according to claim 1 sorts the particles into first and second particles based on an imaging unit that images the particles and an image from only one side of the particles captured by the imaging unit. And a repeating unit that repeats the processing of the imaging unit and the sorting unit for at least one of the first grain and the second grain sorted by the sorting unit.

  The sorting machine according to claim 2 is the sorting machine according to claim 1, wherein the sorting means sorts the particles into good and bad grains, and the repeating means is arranged for the good grains. It is characterized in that the processing of the imaging means and the sorting means is repeated.

  In the sorting machine according to the first aspect, the imaging unit images the particles, and the sorting unit sorts the particles into the first particles and the second particles based on the image of the particles captured by the imaging unit.

  Here, based on the image from only one side of the grain imaged by the imaging means, the sorting means sorts the grain into the first grain and the second grain. For this reason, the structure of an imaging means can be simplified and cost reduction can be aimed at.

  In addition, the repeating unit repeats the processing of the imaging unit and the sorting unit with respect to at least one of the first grain and the second grain sorted by the sorting unit. For this reason, the fall of sorting performance can be controlled.

  In the sorting machine according to the second aspect, the sorting means sorts the particles into good and bad grains, and the repeating means repeats the processing of the imaging means and the sorting means for the good grains. For this reason, the selection performance of good grains can be improved.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a color sorter 10 as a sorter according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the color sorter 10 as seen from the right side. It is shown in the figure. Further, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the main part of the color sorter 10 as seen from the front diagonal right side, and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the color sorter 10 as seen from the diagonal front left side. It is shown.

  The color sorter 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the entire circumferential surface of the color sorter 10 is covered with a cover 12 partially illustrated in FIG.

  On the left side of the color sorter 10, a funnel-shaped supply hopper 14 is fixed as an input part on the outer side of the lower side, and the grain G (rice milling machine) as a granule from the upper side is fixed to the supply hopper 14. In addition, rice grains such as white rice, brown rice, and soy beans from the detaching machine are also introduced), whereby the grain G is supplied to the color sorter 10.

  On the outer side of the left side of the color sorter 10, a first elevator 16 as a first graining means is provided inside the supply hopper 14. The lower end of the first elevator 16 is connected to the lower end of the supply hopper 14, and the first elevator 16 conveys the grain G put into the supply hopper 14 from the lower end to the upper end.

  In the upper part of the color sorter 10, a substantially rectangular cylindrical first tank 18 as a first supply means is provided on the left rear side, and the first tank 18 extends to the upper end of the first elevator 16. The conveyed grain G is supplied from the upper side. Moreover, the lower part of the 1st tank 18 is made into the funnel shape.

  The rear portion of the color sorter 10 is provided with a vibration feeder 20 (straight forward feeder) as a sending means below the first tank 18, and the trough (basin) of the vibration feeder 20 has an upper surface and a front surface. It is an open rectangular parallelepiped box. A partition wall 20 </ b> A is provided in the trough of the vibration feeder 20, and the partition wall 20 </ b> A is centered in the left-right direction in the trough of the vibration feeder 20 to the left first sending unit 22 and the right second sending unit 24. Partitioning. The lower end of the first tank 18 is disposed immediately above the bottom surface of the first delivery unit 22, and the bottom surface of the first delivery unit 22 and the lower end of the first tank 18 are slightly separated from each other. The trough of the vibration feeder 20 has a bottom wall top surface (bottom surfaces of the first delivery unit 22 and the second delivery unit 24) reciprocally vibrated in the front-rear direction, and is supplied to the first tank 18 from the lower end of the first tank 18. The grains G that have flowed down to the bottom surface of the first delivery unit 22 are sent out from the rear side to the front side through the bottom surface of the first delivery unit 22 while being aligned while being vibrated (uniformly scattered). It flows down from the front end of 22 by a predetermined amount.

  On the front side (downstream side) of the vibration feeder 20, a feeding roll 26 having a circular cross-sectional outer shape as a feeding means is provided. The feeding roll 26 is rotated about the central axis in the direction from the rear side toward the front side, and the feeding roll 26 flows down from the grain G flowing down from the front end of the first sending part 22 and from the front end of the second sending part 24 as described later. The grain G is fed by the feeding roll 26 and freely falls along the free fall trajectory P to the front side of the feeding roll 26. The peripheral surface of the feeding roll 26 is configured such that the grain G does not slide so much.

  Below the feeding roll 26, a camera 28 (CCD camera) as an imaging means is provided on the front side (or rear side) of the free fall trajectory P of the grain G from the feeding roll 26. The camera 28 is a line sensor camera having 512 pixels, for example, and the visual field center axis Q of the camera 28 is substantially horizontal and is directed to the free fall orbit P of the grain G. When the grain G that freely falls from the feeding roll 26 via the delivery part 22 reaches the vicinity of the visual field center axis Q, and when the grain G that freely falls from the feeding roll 26 via the second delivery part 24, the grain center axis Q When the vicinity is reached, a predetermined linear region wider than the lateral width of the free fall trajectory P from the feeding roll 26 of the grain G that has passed through the first sending unit 22 and the second sending unit 24 is set to the front side (one side). ) To capture (capture).

  Between the camera 28 and the free fall orbit P of the grain G, a pair of fluorescent lamps 30 and 32 are provided as illumination means, and the pair of fluorescent lamps 30 and 32 is a visual field center axis Q of the camera 28. Are arranged symmetrically on the upper side and the lower side to illuminate the grain G that freely falls along the free fall trajectory P.

  On the visual field center axis Q of the camera 28, a colorimetric plate 34 (reflecting plate) as a reflecting means is provided on the side opposite to the camera 28 of the free fall trajectory P of the grain G. The light reflectance is the same as that of the grain G, which is determined to be a good grain, so that the camera 28 can detect a predetermined amount of light and output a signal (video signal) of a predetermined level. .

  Between the free fall trajectory P of the grain G and the colorimetric plate 34, a pair of fluorescent lamps 36 and 38 are provided as additional illumination means. The grains G that are symmetrically arranged on the upper side and the lower side with respect to the central axis Q and fall freely along the free fall trajectory P are illuminated. The pair of fluorescent lamps 36 and 38 can be omitted.

  The shooting area of the camera 28 is divided into a plurality of parts in the left-right direction, and based on an image including the grain G (color of the grain G) shot in each divided shooting area of the camera 28, It is determined that the grain G in the divided photographing area where the pixel whose output signal level is lower than the threshold value (threshold level) is not detected is a good grain (for example, white grain) as the first grain. It is determined that the grain G in the divided photographing region where the pixel whose output signal level is lower than the threshold is detected is a defective grain as the second grain (for example, a colored grain such as a damaged grain due to illness or insect eating). The

  On the front side (or rear side) of the free fall trajectory P of the grain G, an ejector 40 as a sorting means is provided below the camera 28. The ejector 40 is of a flapper type (air nozzle and electromagnetic). It may be an air nozzle type using a valve). The ejector 40 includes a plate spring 42 having an L-shaped plate shape having elasticity and a solenoid 44 corresponding to the plate spring 42, and the imaging region of the camera 28 is divided into a plurality of portions in the left-right direction. Correspondingly, a plurality of leaf springs 42 and solenoids 44 are provided in the left-right direction. The leaf spring 42 has an upper portion disposed above the solenoid 44 and a lower portion disposed between the plunger 44A of the solenoid 44 and the free fall trajectory P of the grain G, and the grain G is defective. The solenoid 44 of the channel corresponding to the divided photographing region of the camera 28 determined to be a grain is actuated (a voltage of a predetermined (for example, 36V) is instantaneously applied), and the plunger 44A instantaneously moves the lower portion of the leaf spring 42. By hitting (pressing) the leaf spring 42, the leaf spring 42 is elastically deformed and enters the free fall trajectory P in the lower portion, and the free-falling grain G is ejected from the free fall trajectory P to the rear side. As a result, the grain G is primarily sorted into good grains that continue to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P and defective grains that are ejected from the free fall trajectory P by the ejector 40.

  Below the left side portion of the ejector 40, a cylindrical first good grain sorting cylinder 46 and a first defective grain sorting cylinder 48 constituting a sorting means are provided. The upper surface of the first good grain sorting cylinder 46 intersects the free fall orbit P of the grain G that has passed through the first delivery part 22 of the vibration feeder 20, and the upper surface of the first defective grain sorting cylinder 48 is the first good grain. It is arranged on the rear side of the sorting cylinder 46, and the first good grain sorting cylinder 46 is judged to be a good grain through the first delivery unit 22, and continues to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P (primary good Grain) flows in from the upper side, and the grain G (primary defective grain) which is judged to be defective grain through the first delivery part 22 and is ejected from the free fall orbit P to the rear side in the first defective grain sorting cylinder 48. It flows in from the upper side.

  Below the lower end of the first defective particle sorting cylinder 48, a first defective particle collection box 50 constituting a collecting means is provided. The first defective grain collection box 50 has a box shape with an open upper surface, and the first defective grain collection box 50 has a grain G (primary defective grain) determined as a defective grain from the first defective grain sorting cylinder 48. ) Is collected.

  Outside the rear surface of the color sorter 10, there is provided a second elevator 52 as a second granulating means that constitutes a repeating means. The lower end of the first good grain sorting cylinder 46 is connected to the lower end of the second elevator 52, and the second elevator 52 uses the grain G (primary good) determined to be good grains from the first good grain sorting cylinder 46. Grain) from the lower end to the upper end.

  In the upper part of the color sorter 10, a second tank 54 having a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape as a second supply means constituting a repeating means is provided on the rear side of the right part. 2 The grain G (primary good grain) conveyed to the upper end of the elevator 52 is supplied from the upper side. Moreover, the lower part of the 2nd tank 54 is made into the funnel shape.

  The lower end of the second tank 54 is disposed immediately above the bottom surface of the second delivery unit 24 of the vibration feeder 20, and the lower end of the second tank 54 and the bottom surface of the second delivery unit 24 are slightly separated from each other. Therefore, the grains G (primary good grains) supplied to the second tank 54 and flowing down from the lower end of the second tank 54 to the bottom surface of the second delivery unit 24 are arranged while being vibrated (evenly scattered). ), The bottom surface of the second delivery unit 24 is delivered from the rear side to the front side, and is flown down from the front end of the second delivery unit 24 by a predetermined amount.

  Thereby, the grain G (primary good grain) flowing down from the front end of the second delivery unit 24 is fed out by the feeding roll 26 and freely falls along the free fall trajectory P to the front side of the feeding roll 26. When the camera 28 is photographed from the front side when it reaches the vicinity of the visual field center axis Q, the grain G of each divided photographing area of the camera 28 is based on an image including the grain G photographed in each divided photographing area. Whether it is a good grain or a bad grain, and is secondarily sorted into a good grain that continues to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P and a faulty grain that is ejected from the free fall trajectory P by the ejector 40. The

  Below the right side portion of the ejector 40, a cylindrical second good grain sorting cylinder 56 and a second defective grain sorting cylinder 58, which constitute the sorting means, are provided. The upper surface of the second good grain sorting cylinder 56 intersects the free fall trajectory P of the grain G that has passed through the second delivery unit 24, and the upper surface of the second defective grain sorting cylinder 58 is the second good grain sorting cylinder 56. The grain G (secondary good grain) which is arranged on the rear side and is judged to be good grain through the second delivery unit 24 and continues to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P is arranged in the second good grain sorting cylinder 56. The grain G (secondary defective grain) that has flowed from the upper side and is judged as a defective grain through the second delivery unit 24 and ejected rearward from the free fall orbit P to the second defective grain sorting cylinder 58 from the upper side. Inflow.

  Below the lower end of the second defective particle sorting cylinder 58, a second defective particle collection box 60 constituting a collecting means is provided. The second defective grain collection box 60 has a box shape with an open upper surface, and the second defective grain collection box 60 has a grain G (secondary defect) determined as a defective grain from the second defective grain selection cylinder 58. Grain) is collected and collected.

  A good grain collection box 62 constituting a collecting means is provided below the lower end of the second good grain sorting cylinder 56. The good grain collection box 62 is formed in a box shape with an open upper surface, and the grain G (secondary good grain) determined to be good grains from the second good grain sorting cylinder 56 flows into the good grain collection box 62. To be collected.

  An operation panel 64 serving as an operation unit is provided on the upper front portion of the color sorter 10. In the operation panel 64, the color sorter 10 (first elevator 16, second elevator 52, vibration feeder 20, feeding roll 26 is provided. Camera 28, fluorescent lamps 30, 32, 36, 38, ejector 40, threshold value for determining good and bad grains, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  In order to select the grain G in the color sorter 10 having the above configuration, teaching processing for initial setting is performed at the time of initial introduction of the color sorter 10 or at a predetermined time. That is, when the operator instructs the start of the teaching process by operating the operation panel 64 or automatically every predetermined time, first, a predetermined shooting target area is shot by the camera 28, and an output signal from the camera 28 is output. A teaching process is performed based on this. Further, when the operator designates a desired threshold rate by operating the operation panel 64 and then instructs the start of the threshold setting process by operating the operation panel 64, the threshold setting process is started. In the threshold setting process, first, as in the teaching process, a predetermined shooting target area is shot by the camera 28, and the threshold setting process is performed based on an output signal from the camera 28.

  Next, the color selection process of the grain G shown in FIG. 5 is implemented.

  That is, when the grain G to be selected is input to the supply hopper 14 by the operator or a predetermined grain input machine, it is conveyed by the first elevator 16 and supplied to the first tank 18. The grain G is supplied to the first delivery unit 22 of the vibration feeder 20. Thereby, the grain G flows down from the front end of the 1st sending part 22, and falls freely along the free fall track | orbit P to the front side of the delivery roll 26. FIG.

  The grain G that freely falls along the free fall trajectory P is captured by the camera 28 from the front side, and it is judged whether it is a good grain or a bad grain. While (primary good grains) continue to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P, the grains G (primary fault grains) determined to be defective grains are ejected from the free fall trajectory P by the ejector 40, and the grains G Primary selection is made into good and bad grains.

  The grain G (primary defective grain) ejected from the free fall trajectory P flows into the first defective grain sorting cylinder 48 and is collected in the first defective grain collection box 50.

  The grains G (primary good grains) that continue to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P are supplied to the second tank 54 by flowing into the first good grain sorting cylinder 46 and being transported by the second elevator 52. Then, it is supplied to the second delivery unit 24 of the vibration feeder 20. Thereby, the grain G (primary good grain) flows down from the front end of the 2nd sending part 24, and falls freely along the free fall track P to the front side of the feed roll 26.

  The grain G (primary good grain) that freely falls along the free fall trajectory P is photographed by the camera 28 from the front side, and is judged to be good grain by judging whether it is good grain or defective grain. Grained grains G (secondary good grains) continue to fall freely along free fall trajectory P, while grains G (secondary faulty grains) judged to be defective grains are ejected from free fall trajectory P by ejector 40. Thus, the grain G is secondarily sorted into good grains and bad grains.

  The grain G (secondary defective grain) ejected from the free fall trajectory P flows into the second defective grain sorting cylinder 58 and is collected in the second defective grain collection box 60.

  The grains G (secondary good grains) that continue to fall freely along the free fall trajectory P flow into the second good grain sorting cylinder 56 and are collected in the good grain collection box 62.

  In the color sorter 10, while the grain G (secondary good grain) collected in the good grain collection box 62 is regarded as a good grain, it is collected in the first defective grain collection box 50 and the second defective grain collection box 60. The made grain G (primary defective grain and secondary defective grain) is regarded as a defective grain.

  Here, based on the image (color) from only the front side of the grain G photographed by the camera 28, it is determined whether the grain G is a good grain or a defective grain, and the ejector 40 selects the grain G. Sort into good and bad grains. For this reason, the expensive camera 28 can be made into one, a cost reduction can be aimed at, and the color sorter 10 can be made suitable as a thing for farmers.

  Furthermore, the grain G (primary good grain) which is primarily selected by the camera 28 and the ejector 40 through the feeding roll 26 by being supplied to the first delivery unit 22 of the vibration feeder 20 by the first elevator 16 and the first tank 18. ) Is supplied to the second delivery unit 24 of the vibration feeder 20 by the second elevator 52 and the second tank 54, and is secondarily sorted by the camera 28 and the ejector 40 through the feeding roll 26. For this reason, the fall of sorting performance can be controlled.

  And since the grain G in which the sorting by the camera 28 and the ejector 40 is repeated is the primary good grain in the primary sorting, the sorting performance of the good grain can be improved.

  The color sorter 10 can reduce the cost by about 50%, the sorting performance by about 90%, and the processing capacity by about 70% compared to the conventional color sorter (two-camera system).

  Moreover, in this color sorter 10, in order for the ejector 40 to eject one grain G (primary defective grain or secondary defective grain) from the free fall orbit P, another grain G (for example, about 10 good grains). ) Will also be ejected from the free fall trajectory P. Therefore, good grains are also considerably mixed in the grains G collected in the first defective grain collection box 50 and the second defective grain collection box 60. Therefore, it is preferable that the mixed grain G is subjected to the color sorting process again by the color sorter 10. In this case, in order to improve the sorting performance, it is preferable to reduce the amount of grain G sent out by the vibration feeder 20 and the feeding roll 26.

  Moreover, in this color sorter 10, although the granule of this invention was set as the grain G, it is good also as a structure which used the granule of this invention as the granulated plastic piece.

It is the schematic diagram seen from the front side which shows the color sorter | selector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram seen from the right side which shows the color sorter | selector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the front diagonal right side which shows the principal part of the color sorter | selector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the front slanting left side which shows the color sorter | selector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the color selection process with respect to the grain in the color sorter | selector which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Color sorter (sorter)
28 Camera (imaging means)
40 Ejector (sorting means)
52 Second elevator (repeat means)
54 Second tank (repeat means)
G grain (grain)

Claims (2)

Imaging means for imaging the particles;
Sorting means for sorting the particles into first and second grains based on an image from only one side of the grains imaged by the imaging means;
A repeating means for repeating the processing of the imaging means and the sorting means for at least one of the first grain and the second grain sorted by the sorting means;
Sorting machine equipped with.   The said selection means sorts a granule into a good grain and a defective grain, and the said repeating means repeats the process of the said imaging means and a selection means with respect to a good grain. Sorter.

Images