Food product defect sensor and trimmer apparatus
US4576071A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 4, 1983 |
| Grant date | Mar 18, 1986 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/8769
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The food product sensor and trimmer apparatus and method may be used to detect and remove defects from french fried potato strips or other elongated food products as they are conveyed in separate channels on a conveyor belt. Such apparatus comprises a defect sensor for each channel including a plurality of light detectors which detect two different wavelength light bands, such as visible light and infrared light, reflected from the surface of the food product to determine the length of the product, the size of the defect and the position of the defect on the product. Visible light and near infrared light are reflected from the product and sensed by different detectors and the ratio of detected visible light to infrared light determined to detect defects and locate them relative to the opposite ends of the product. An improved cutter is employed in each channel to remove the defects from the article including a knife which may have a single pivoted knife blade and a control for reciprocating such blades back and forth across the path of the product so that the blade is capable of making two or more cuts per product. The spacing distance between such cuts is adjusted by the control t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.