CA2140185A1 - Integrated food sorting and analysis apparatus - Google Patents

Integrated food sorting and analysis apparatus

Info

Publication number
CA2140185A1
CA2140185A1 CA002140185A CA2140185A CA2140185A1 CA 2140185 A1 CA2140185 A1 CA 2140185A1 CA 002140185 A CA002140185 A CA 002140185A CA 2140185 A CA2140185 A CA 2140185A CA 2140185 A1 CA2140185 A1 CA 2140185A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
upstream
food articles
downstream
stream
camera
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.)
Granted
Application number
CA002140185A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2140185C (en
Inventor
James K. West
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.)
Key Technology Inc
Original Assignee
James K. West
Key Technology, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by James K. West, Key Technology, Inc. filed Critical James K. West
Publication of CA2140185A1 publication Critical patent/CA2140185A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2140185C publication Critical patent/CA2140185C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting 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
    • B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B07C5/363—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution by means of air
    • B07C5/367—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution by means of air using a plurality of separation means
    • B07C5/368—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution by means of air using a plurality of separation means actuated independently
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting 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
    • B07C5/34—Sorting according to other particular properties
    • B07C5/342—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour
    • B07C5/3422—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/939—Video scanning

Abstract

An integrated bulk food sorting and analysis apparatus comprises a wide-belt product conveyor which receives and conveys a laterally-distributed stream of bulk food articles past a product diverter. An upstream camera is positioned to view the stream of food articles upstream of the product diverter.
Automated sorting logic is responsive to the upstream camera to individually determine optical characteristics of each food article. The product diverter is responsive to the automated sorting logic to divert a portion of the food articles from the stream depending upon their individual optical characteristics. The apparatus also includes a downstream camera positioned to view the stream of food articles downstream of the product diverter. A data processor is responsive to both the upstream camera and the downstream camera to periodically examine samples of food articles and to calculate upstream and downstream quality statistics regarding the stream of food articles. The data processor is programmed to compare the calculated upstream and downstream quality statistics to derive diverted product quality statistics regarding the food articles diverted by the product diverter. The data processor also calculates settings for the automated sorting logic based upon the calculated quality statistics.
CA002140185A 1994-03-15 1995-01-13 Integrated food sorting and analysis apparatus Expired - Fee Related CA2140185C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US213,442 1980-12-05
US08/213,442 US5526437A (en) 1994-03-15 1994-03-15 Integrated food sorting and analysis apparatus

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2140185A1 true CA2140185A1 (en) 1995-09-16
CA2140185C CA2140185C (en) 2001-08-14

Family

ID=22795153

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002140185A Expired - Fee Related CA2140185C (en) 1994-03-15 1995-01-13 Integrated food sorting and analysis apparatus

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US5526437A (en)
EP (1) EP0672468B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE184816T1 (en)
CA (1) CA2140185C (en)
DE (1) DE69512293T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2137450T3 (en)

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US8121392B2 (en) * 2004-10-25 2012-02-21 Parata Systems, Llc Embedded imaging and control system
US8421856B2 (en) * 2006-04-04 2013-04-16 6511660 Canada Inc. System and method for identifying and sorting material
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AT12076U1 (en) 2010-07-27 2011-10-15 Evk Di Kerschhaggl Gmbh METHOD, SENSOR UNIT AND MACHINE FOR DETECTING '' SUGAR TIPS '' - DEFECTS IN POTATOES
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US20140168173A1 (en) * 2012-12-13 2014-06-19 Research In Motion Limited Automatic calibration of stylus location using mapping between color and location
US9271505B2 (en) * 2013-03-15 2016-03-01 Shuttleworth Llc Apparatus for conveying, inspecting and stacking items
EP3131404B1 (en) * 2014-04-15 2018-01-03 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Controlling a roasting process of coffee beans
MX2017010093A (en) 2015-02-05 2018-03-23 Laitram Llc Vision-based grading with automatic weight calibration.
US9731328B2 (en) * 2015-08-03 2017-08-15 Linear Group Services, LLC Inspection and sorting machine
DE102016210482A1 (en) * 2016-06-14 2017-12-14 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Optical sorting system and corresponding sorting method
BR112019022885B1 (en) 2017-05-02 2023-11-14 Cabinplant International A/S METHOD OF FEEDING AND WEIGHING A SOLID FOOD PRODUCT, AND SCALE HEAD
US10478863B2 (en) 2017-06-27 2019-11-19 Key Technology, Inc. Method and apparatus for sorting
US10512942B2 (en) * 2017-10-30 2019-12-24 Optisort, Llc System and method for sorting objects
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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69512293D1 (en) 1999-10-28
DE69512293T2 (en) 2000-05-11
CA2140185C (en) 2001-08-14
ES2137450T3 (en) 1999-12-16
EP0672468B1 (en) 1999-09-22
US5526437A (en) 1996-06-11
ATE184816T1 (en) 1999-10-15
EP0672468A1 (en) 1995-09-20

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed

Effective date: 20150113