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 Title: |
US5164795:
Method and apparatus for grading fruit
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Conway, Tim D.; Stockton, CA
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| Assignee: |
Sunkist Growers, Inc., Sherman Oaks, CA
other patents from SUNKIST GROWERS INC. (551395) (approx. 88)
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| Published / Filed: |
1992-11-17
/ 1990-03-23
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| Application Number: |
US1990000498354
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
B07C 5/342;
Core:
more...
IPC-7:
G01J 3/51;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
356/407;
250/226;
348/089;
348/091;
356/418;
356/425;
Original:
356/407;
250/226;
356/418;
356/425;
358/106;
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| Field of Search: |
356/073,385,402,406,407,416,418,419,425
250/226
358/106
209/577,580-582,587
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| Priority Number: |
| 1990-03-23 |
US1990000498354 |
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| Abstract: |
A method and apparatus is disclosed for grading the surface of generally apherical fruit according to surface characteristics such as color and blemish. The fruit are moved in single file past a scanning camera while being rotated about a transverse horizontal axis. Reflectivity data in three separate wavelength bands is collected for a series of scans of each article of fruit, and this data is processed to eliminate all duplicative data arising from the fruit's rotation. Color ratio signals based on the remaining reflectivity data are then utilized to grade the fruit according to their surface color and degree of blemish.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Koundakjian, Stephen J. ;
Brueggemann, James R. ;
del Giudice, Paul V. ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Evans, F. L.;
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Family: |
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First Claim:
Show all 23 claims |
I claim:
1. Apparatus for grading the surface of generally spherical fruit, comprising:
- conveyor means for advancing a succession of generally spherical fruit along an axis, the fruit having variable average diameters;
- camera means for repeatedly scanning the advancing fruit along a scan axis transverse to the conveyor axis and for generating surface reflectivity data for each article of fruit;
- wherein the conveyor means includes means for rotating the advancing fruit about a horizontal axis transverse to the conveyor axis as the fruit are advanced past the camera means, such that the camera means generates surface reflectivity data for substantially the entire surface of each article of fruit; and
- selection means for determining the approximate diameter of each article of fruit and, based on that determination, ascertaining what portion, if any, of the surface reflectivity data is duplicative of other surface reflectivity data and discarding that duplicative data, with the remaining surface reflectivity data representing substantially the entire surface of the article of fruit.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 13 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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