Detection system for sorting apparatus
US6998559B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 2001 |
| Grant date | Feb 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/02827
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for determining characteristics of products of generally unequal size, e.g. apples, which are conveyed on product carriers, such as rollers of a conveying apparatus, and pass the system, the system comprising a detection device, arranged at some distance from the products, having a transmitter section and a receiver section, as well as a signal processing unit for processing signals to and from the system, including the signals of the receiver section for determining the characteristics, the system further comprising: a sensor which, prior to the passage of a product, scans the size of each passing product and produces a corresponding scanning signal, and a displacement device, for positioning, in accordance with each scanning signal, at least the receiver section of the detection device at a well-defined distance during the passage of each product. With such a system, in an advantageous manner, on-line, characteristics such as firmness and sugar content of fruits can be determined. These characteristics can be used real-time as a selection criterion during sorting of large amounts of fruits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.