Title of Invention

COLOR SORTING MACHINE.

Abstract

There is disclosed a color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of the difference in color comprising a feeder (2) for supplying granular materials; a descent slope (4) through which said granular materials run down; a detector (7) which comprises a reflection plate (15) and a photosensitive apparatus (101) being operationally integrated with each other; a transparent plate (14) being covered to protect the inside, an air shower system to clean said transparent plate, and an ejector (8) equipped with a slot type air spray nozzle (19) to blow out granular materials which are sorted by said detector and the air spray nozzle.

Full Text

[Background of the invention] [Field of the invention] The present invention relates to a color sorting machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a color sorting machine comprising a feeder having a guiding groove formed, a descent slope with a round u shape channel and a heater attached at the rear, an air shower system to clean transparent plate of detector, an ejector having a slot typed air spray nozzle to blow out inferior goods. Until recently, most of the color sorting machines have generally separated a specific granular material from other granular materials on the basis of its color. These have been used for color sorting of various granular materials such as cereals, plastic pellet, tablets, etc. However, these kinds of conventional color sorting machines have some problems. That is, granular materials are not evenly inputted from the feeder into a descent slope because an operating condition is not always consistently maintained. Also, a dropping speed can be changed because descent slope condition is getting changed depending on the humidity among the air and the temperature. Furthermore, transparent detecting plate is readily polluted by rice bran, dust etc. -1A- The descent slope is generally formed in a square or a V shape. Since ejector nozzle is a circle type, which sprays broadly, a desired goods are not accurately separated from poor goods. [Summary of the invention] The present invention was designed to solve aforementioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a color sorting machine having a high sorting quality and a superior mass production. In order to attain aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of the difference in color comprising: a feeder for supplying granular materials; a descent slope through which said granular materials run down; a detector which comprises a reflection plate and a photosensitive apparatus being operationally integrated with each other; a transparent plate being covered to protect the inside, an air shower system to clean said transparent plate, and an ejector equipped with a slot type air spray nozzle to blow out granular materials which are sorted by said detector and the air spray nozzle. In another aspect, the present invention provides a color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of - 2 - the difference in color comprising a feeder for supplying granular materials, a descent slope through which said granular materials run down, a detector which comprises a reflection plate and a photosensitive apparatus being integrated with each other; operationally /an ejector equipped with an air spray nozzle 19 to blow out granular materials sorted by said detector. accompanying [Brief Description of the/Drawings] The present invention will be hereinafter explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein : FIG. l is a cross-sectional view of a color sorting machine of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing A portion of Fig.1 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing B portion of Fig.i FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing C portion of Fig.i FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing D portion of Fig.i [Detailed description of the invention] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a color sorting machine of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, a color sorting machine 10 0 comprises a hopper 1 for containing granular materials in the upper part and a feeder 2 under the hopper. The feeder 2, as shown in Fig. 3, has a structure in -3 - which the front end is inclined to allow granular materials to be easily run down evenly to a descent slope 4, and a guide groove 17 in V or U shape is formed (See upper drawing of Fig. 3). The guide groove 17 is coincided with each channel of a descent slope 4 to allow granular materials to be inputted evenly and precisely into a descent slope 4. A vibration element 3 is located beneath the feeder 2. Under the feeder 2, several channels are formed, and each channel comprises descent slope 4 having the bottom in U or V shape. Under the air conditions, such as high percent of humidity condition, descent slope 4 gets humidified and is easily polluted by dust, which affects on a descending speed and cause occurring product with poor quality. In order to solve this, the condition of descent slope 4 should be consistently maintained. For this purpose, a heater of which temperature can be consistently controlled, is attached to the rear of the descent slope 4 to make respective channel dry and prevent moisture or dust from being adhered. Since granular materials can show different flowing resistances depending on the shape of descent slope 4, a conventional rectangular shape 41 (see Fig. 5) or V shape 4 3 (see Fig. 5) is replaced with a round bottom U shape 43 as shown in Fig. 5 to keep a speed consistently. - 4 - Referring to Fig. 2, detector 7 has a photosensitive apparatus 101, which is a unit comprising protection lens 13, a plurality of optical lens 17 for condensing light, slot plate 18, the size of which is in proportion to air spraying nozzle hole of an ejector (8), described hereinafter; sensor 28 and amplifier 20. The detector 7 also has a light source 21. A reflected light and a transmitted light of granular the (101), materials entered into / photosensitive apparatus/go through protection lens 13 and a plurality of lens 17 for condensing light and are filtered at the slot plate 18 having a slot 18', of which the size is in proportion to air spraying nozzle hole, to be concentrated at sensor 28. Protection lens 13 plays a role to keep up cleaning inside of photosensitive apparatus by intercepting dust or other materials. Plurality of lens 17 for condensing light play a role for condensing light to be reflected or transmitted from the granular materials. Slot plate 18 plays a role of limiting the detecting area by passing the light needed to sort out the material, by cutting unnecessary light. Sensor 28 makes the signal which the condensed light through the slot 18' of the slot plate 18 is able to sort out the materials. Fine signals as -4A- the concentrated are amplified over several steps at/amplifier 20 to make desired goods be separated from inferior goods. Since it is very sensitive, the photosensitive apparatus 101 should be protected from dust or contaminants. For this purpose, transparent plate 14 for protection and dust prevention and case 16 are sealed with no gaps and coated with adhesive. Also, air inlet 25 and air shower system 24 are equipped to prevent dust or contaminants from being attached to transparent plate 14. Air shower system can be also used to clean detector when sorting operation is stopped. While blowing air, wiper with brush is effectively used to clean said transparent plate by running it right and left. A dust collecting apparatus 102 is established to collect dust from whole area of detector 7 . In order to secure accurate detection, reflection plate 15 having the same color - 5 - as that of desired granular material is positioned under photosensitive apparatus of the front and the rear detectors 7. By doing this, the photosensitive apparatus becomes positioned in a straight line with the opposite reflection plate. The front and the rear photosensitive apparatuses are located to look at each other at an intersection point 6 as shown in Fig. 1 to examine granular materials to go .through at the front and the rear sides. Thus, when inferior goods are there it can be detected accurately. The reflection plates are made in rotatable rectangular type. The signal for inferior goods separated by photosensitive apparatus 101 is transmitted to ejector 8 and air is suddenly blown to send inferior goods to outlet for inferior goods. The dropping speed of granular materials is a high speed, i.e. several pieces per second. Since conventional sorting machines mainly employ a circular type air spray nozzle, air is sprayed over broad area to cause a lot of desired goods to be lost and the sorting accuracy to be decreased. As shown in Fig. 4, in order to solve aforesaid problems, the color sorting machine of the present invention employs a slot type nozzle rather than a circular one to increase the accuracy. The size of slot 19 is designed to be in proportion to that of slot 18' of photosensitive apparatus 101. The structure of - 6 - ejector 8 is illustrated in Fig. 4. That is, a square metal tube 29 comprises a hole 31 inside which is passed through and connected to respective slot 19. The right and the left ends are connected with a compressor hose to secure air in a fixed pressure to be ejected with a high speed and thereby increase the accuracy of color sorting and the productivity. A valve 30 is provided which has a function of controlling the air which is sent to slot type nozzle 19, and for opening and shutting a pin (not shown) which blocks the nozzle depending on electrical signal. When ejector 8 ejects air in a high pressure, the high pressure air may interrupt the outside air flow of detector 7. In order to minimize, a separation wall is establish between detector 7 and ejector 8, as shown in Fig. 1. The present invention is explained with respect to examples, but is not limited thereto, and it can be understood that a person skilled in the art can make various modifications based on the present invention. [The effect of the invention] The color sorting machine according to the present invention provides an improved color sorting quality of granular materials and a superior mass production. -7- WE CLAIM: 1. A color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of the difference in color comprising: a feeder (2) for supplying granular materials; a descent slope (4) through which said granular materials run down; a detector (7) which comprises a reflection plate (15) and a photosensitive apparatus (101) being operationally integrated with each other; a transparent plate (14) being covered to protect the inside, an air shower system to clean said transparent plate, and an ejector (8) equipped with a slot type air spray nozzle (19) to blow out granular materials which are sorted by said detector and the air spray nozzle. 2. A color sorting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a separation wall is provided between detector (7) and ejector (8). 3. A color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of the difference in color comprising: a feeder (2) for supplying granular materials; a descent slope (4) through which said granular materials run down; a detector (7) which comprises a reflection plate (15) and a photosensitive apparatus (101) being operationally integrated with each other; and an ejector (8) equipped with a slot type air spray nozzle (19) to blow out granular materials which are sorted by said detector (7). 4. A color sorting machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said ejector (8) comprises a plurality of slot type nozzles (19), inside hole (31) which is connected to said nozzles and to outside air supplying apparatus, and valve (30) for controlling air to be sent to said nozzles. -8- 5. A color sorting machine for sorting granular materials, substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 18th day of February, 2003. -9- There is disclosed a color sorting machine for sorting granular materials on the basis of the difference in color comprising a feeder (2) for supplying granular materials; a descent slope (4) through which said granular materials run down; a detector (7) which comprises a reflection plate (15) and a photosensitive apparatus (101) being operationally integrated with each other; a transparent plate (14) being covered to protect the inside, an air shower system to clean said transparent plate, and an ejector (8) equipped with a slot type air spray nozzle (19) to blow out granular materials which are sorted by said detector and the air spray nozzle.

Documents:

00093-kol-2003-abstract.pdf

00093-kol-2003-assignment.pdf

00093-kol-2003-claims.pdf

00093-kol-2003-correspondence.pdf

00093-kol-2003-description(complete).pdf

00093-kol-2003-drawings.pdf

00093-kol-2003-form-1.pdf

00093-kol-2003-form-18.pdf

00093-kol-2003-form-2.pdf

00093-kol-2003-form-3.pdf

00093-kol-2003-g.p.a.pdf

00093-kol-2003-letters patent.pdf

00093-kol-2003-reply f.e.r.pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-abstract.pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-claims.pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-description (complete).pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-drawings.pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-form 2.pdf

93-kol-2003-granted-specification.pdf