Fruit sorting apparatus and method

A fruit sorting apparatus for sorting fruit, wherein the fruit sorting apparatus comprises:

• a control unit, a conveying assembly, a detection assembly, a fruit cup, a plurality of fixing assemblies and a plurality of detection units, wherein the fruit cup is configured to accommodate a fruit;
• the fixing assembly is configured to fix the fruit cup;
• the detection assembly is arranged at an input end of the conveying assembly, and the detection assembly is connected to the control unit and is configured to detect an in-place signal when the fixing assemblies move to the input end and send the in-place signal carrying a start point time to the control unit;
• the plurality of fixing assemblies are sequentially mounted on the conveying assembly, and drive a plurality of fruit cups to sequentially pass through the plurality of detection units under an action of the conveying assembly;
• the plurality of detection units are connected to the control unit, and the detection units are configured to collect detection information of the fruit cup once every preset time interval and send the detection information carrying time information to the control unit;
• and
• the control unit is configured to be connected to the detection units and the detection assembly, and is configured to receive a plurality of pieces of detection information and match the detection information corresponding to the fruit cup of the in-place signal according to a running speed of the conveying assembly, the start point time of the in-place signal, a distance between the detection units and the detection assembly, and the time information of the detection information;
• wherein each of the fixing assemblies comprise a bottom plate and a baffle plate, the bottom plate is mounted on the conveying assembly, the baffle plate is connected to the bottom plate, the baffle plates and the bottom plates of two adjacent fixing assemblies form a fixing cavity, and the fruit cup is mounted in the fixing cavity.