Electrical pulse counters – pulse dividers – or shift registers: c – Applications – Counting animate or inanimate entities
Patent
1989-09-19
1991-07-16
Heyman, John S.
Electrical pulse counters, pulse dividers, or shift registers: c
Applications
Counting animate or inanimate entities
250221, 25022711, 377 53, G06M 700, B07C 510, G01N 2100
Patent
active
050330659
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for counting objects which are conveyed in said apparatus, the objects which may be for example, quick-frozen goods. The invention is however more particularly adapted to count small animals such as chicks, ducklings, young turkeys, young guinea fowl, etc.
2) Description of Background and Other Information
In an automated packing line, it is known to count the goods at the end of the line to place them by group in containers such as boxes.
The problem becomes obviously difficult when it involves counting loose goods whose shapes are not truly defined or different depending on the position that they can take, like quick-frozen croissants, for example.
Finally, it is clear that the difficulties are further increased when it involves counting living animals, which can of course move and be presented by groups or by unit, as in an incubator equipment line, for example.
A known counting apparatus includes a light emitting system adapted to form an emission zone, a light receiver system forming several reception points, which are substantially aligned, a passage between the emission zone and the reception points, to permit the conveying of objects to be counted in a manner substantially perpendicular to the alignment of the reception points, and a counting system, which is provided to determine the number of objects conveyed with respect to the variations of the light received at the reception points. These variations are due to the interposition of objects between the emission zone and the reception points.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, known systems are not generally satisfactory, particularly because of the disturbances caused by the exterior environment on the light emitted for measuring. This is why the invention proposes an apparatus of the type mentioned above but which is remarkable in that the receiver system comprise a plurality of receivers, each adapted to form a reception point, whereas the emitting system comprises as many individual emitters as there are receivers and form several emission points, substantially aligned. The emitters each emit a directional luminous beam and the receivers are associated by pairs with said emitters, such that each receiver is provided to catch, in the absence of the object, the luminous beam of the emitter with which it is associated and to consequently create a signal.
Preferably, each emitter-receiver pair is presented in the form of a single unit connected by optic fibers, on the one hand to an emission point and, on the other hand, to a reception point.
To best avoid further exterior disturbances and interferences from one beam to the other, each emitter is preferably provided to emit a luminous beam of modulated infrared light.
An embodiment according to the invention comprises a system for transformation of the signals coming from the receivers, to transform them into impulses for counting objects. The signal transformation system is preferably provided with a cyclical scanning means which is provided to periodically transform each signal into a deduction impulse when said signal is in a certain state.
In this case, for example, a counter is provided to count the number of deduction impulses which are emitted at each scanning cycle, while a comparator is provided to compare the number of deduction impulses at certain predetermined values and to emit a counting impulse each time the number of deduction impulses reaches one of the predetermined values.
Each receiver can also be connected to one of the inputs of a logic gate, which itself is connected to the counter of deduction impulses, so as to deliver an output signal, which frees said counter as soon as said signal shows a state for which at least one of the luminous beams is interrupted.
The logic gate can also be likewise connected to a comparison clock which is adapted to deliver an alarm signal when the gate signal remains in the state corresponding to the interruption of at least one of the beams, during
REFERENCES:
patent: 4343991 (1982-08-01), Fujiwara et al.
patent: 4628520 (1986-12-01), Menger
patent: 4635215 (1987-01-01), Friend
patent: 4782500 (1988-11-01), Lyngsie
patent: 4868901 (1989-09-01), Kniskern et al.
Breuil Jean-Pierre
Keromnes Bernard
Breuil, S.A.
Heyman John S.
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