Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Quality evaluation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-11
2004-06-22
Barlow, John (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system in a specific environment
Quality evaluation
C356S432000, C356S433000, C356S434000, C356S436000, C356S446000, C250S339010, C250S339070, C250S341100, C250S339100, C250S339120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754600
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits for measuring the quality evaluation amount of the sugar degree, the ripening degree or the like of vegetables and fruits nondestructively to evaluate the inner quality, a method for warming-up operating and a method for measuring the inner quality in the apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
There has been heretofore known a method of measuring the inner quality of vegetables and fruits nondestructively to evaluate by irradiating light from a light source on vegetables and fruits and applying spectral analysis to the reflecting light or transmission light.
As the apparatus to which the above method is applied, there has been known an apparatus installed on the floor of an inspection room or the like and placing vegetables and fruits on the place bed to measure and evaluate them (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-125593 Publication, etc.), or an apparatus installed on the selective line or the like and placing vegetables and fruits on the carrying conveyor to measure and evaluate them (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-337480 Publication, etc.).
However, the above-described conventional apparatuses are large in type and expensive, and small-scaled enterprisers were very hard to introduce them in terms of installation places, purchase expenses and so on. Further, when the apparatuses are once installed, their installation place cannot be changed easily, thus being inconvenient.
Further, in the apparatus placing vegetables and fruits on the place bed to measure and evaluate them, a cover for shielding disturbance light is disposed, and when the cover is closed, automatic measurement is carried out. It is, however, troublesome to close the cover separately, and it takes much time for measurement.
Further, a halogen lamp or the like as a light source has its service life, and if an over-current should flow, it would possibly be broken. In such a case, the lamp has to be replaced, but in the conventional apparatuses, the safety and the promptness in replacing work have not at all been taken into consideration.
Moreover, in such apparatuses as described, it requires a fixed time till the spectrum of a light source is stabilized after a power switch has been turned on. Unless the spectrum of the light source is stabilized, the inner quality of vegetables and fruits cannot be measured and evaluated with good accuracy.
From the foregoing, in the conventional apparatuses, when the apparatuses are started, the warming-up operation has been obliged for a period of time obtained by multiplying the time considered to be necessary by the safety rate, that is, a long period of time more than that required. Further, when the apparatuses are restarted, and also when the apparatuses are returned after the power failure, the warning-up operation for a period of time similar to that when the apparatuses are first started has been obliged.
Therefore, when the apparatuses are first started, an operator has to wait for a long period of time more than that required till measurement and evaluation are started, and when the apparatuses are restarted, and when returned after the power failure, the time required for restart and a period of time for the power failure have not at all been taken into consideration, and therefore, the entirely wasteful time has been included in the waiting time.
Further, the above-described conventional apparatuses are all large in type and expensive, which measure and evaluate a large quantity of the same kind and the same breed of vegetables and fruits. Therefore, the spectral strength of the light source and the measuring time corresponding to vegetables and fruits have been set in advance, and the reflecting light or the transmission light from vegetables and fruits have been measured merely for the measuring time.
The conventional large type and expensive apparatuses have been difficult to be introduced by small enterprisers in terms of the installation place, purchase expenses or the like, and a small type and inexpensive apparatus has been demanded. On the other hand, for the small type and inexpensive apparatus, there is demanded general-purpose properties that can measure and evaluate many kinds and many breeds of vegetables and fruits.
However, the strength of the reflecting light or the transmission light from vegetables and fruits differs greatly depending on the kind or breed of vegetables and fruits. In a case of vegetables and fruits whose optical strength is small (absorbance is large), it is necessary to make the measuring time longer and maintain the S/N ratio in order to secure the measuring accuracy. Therefore, in a case where the measuring time is made to correspond to vegetables and fruits whose optical strength are small, the measuring time is surplus for vegetables and fruits whose optical strength are large.
On the other hand, in a case where the measuring time is made to correspond to vegetables and fruits whose optical strength is small, the resolution of an A/D converter has to be lowered in order to secure the dynamic range in the measurement of the optical strength, and when the resolution of an A/D converter is intended not to be lowered, an amplifier having a multistage gain is necessary.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the problem as noted above with respect to prior art, and the object of the present invention is to provide a very convenient apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits, which is small in type and inexpensive, can be introduced easily by small-scaled enterprisers, can change the installation place easily, and in which measurement can be carried out easily, the measuring time can be shortened, and further, the safety and promptness in the replacing operation of a halogen lamp or the like as a light source are fully taken into consideration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for warming-up operating in the apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits in which the apparatus is subjected to the warming-up operation only for a sufficient period of time that required whereby the waiting time which is more than that required and is entirely wasteful is omitted while sufficiently securing the accuracy of measurement and evaluation to enable realization of the enhancement of operating efficiency and energy saving.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for measuring the inner quality in the apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits in which even if the kind and the breed of vegetables and fruits are variety, the inner quality can be measured efficiently while securing the sufficient measuring accuracy, and the apparatus constitution can be also simplified.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
For achieving the aforementioned objects, an apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits according to the present invention comprises a place bed formed with a transmission light detecting hole and on which vegetables and fruits are placed; light sources disposed opposedly on both sides of the place bed to irradiate vegetables and fruits; a spectra/detection unit for making spectra in transmission light having transmitted through vegetables and fruits and passed through the transmission light detecting hole and detecting optical strength; an A/D converter for converting an analogue detection signal into a digital detection signal; an operation processing section for calculating and evaluating the quality evaluation amount of the sugar degree and the ripening degree on the basis of the detection signals; a measuring button for instructing the measurement; and a display panel for displaying the quality evaluation amount of the sugar degree and the ripening degree, the apparatus capable of being installed on the table, and also being portable.
Further, an apparatus for evaluating the inner quality of vegetables and fruits according to the present invention compr
Hashimoto Hirotsugu
Nishiyama Yoshihide
Tanaka Motoshi
Taniguchi Norio
Barlow John
Dougherty Anthony T.
Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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