Method and apparatus for sorting articles
US4693378A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 1985 |
| Grant date | Sep 15, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 25, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S209/939
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An automatic article sorting apparatus sorts out articles by their sizes. The apparatus includes a conveyor mechanism for conveying the articles, and an image pickup unit for producing images of the articles as they are conveyed by the conveyor mechanism. An image memory stores the images of the articles one frame at a time, and a sorting device masks an unnecessary portion of the image of an article. The size of the article is derived from the number of pixels in the unmasked portion of the image of the article, and the size of the article is compared with a preset range of grades to produce selection information. A sorting apparatus sorts out the article in accordance with the selection information.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.