Optical sorter

Abstract

An optical sorter includes a light source configured to irradiate a sorting target in transit on a conveyance route with light, an optical sensor configured to detect light emitted from the light source and associated with the sorting target, a determination portion configured to determine whether the sorting target is a foreign object and/or a defective product based on a signal acquired by the optical sensor with respect to the light associated with the sorting target, and at least one intermediate member disposed at a position located between the light source and the conveyance route in a direction in which the sorting target is irradiated with the light from the light source and located in such a manner that the intermediate member does not affect the detection of the light associated with the sorting target. The at least one intermediate member includes a reflection region on which the light emitted from the light source is reflected. The optical sensor is further configured to detect the light emitted from the light source and reflected on the reflection region.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.