Quality assessment of product in bulk flow
AssigneeSortex Limited
InventorGabriel Hamid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for generating data relating to the quality of product in a bulk stream product during its passage through a monitoring station. An inspection of at least a portion of product in the monitoring station is conducted at intervals while the stream is owing. The inspectors identities individual product pieces in the portion being inspected by using one or more of various techniques. Those individual pieces are then examined according to chosen criteria, and a measure is established of the quantity or proportion of such individual product pieces that fail to meet those criteria. The data generated by these inspections can be analysed to provide an indication of the quality of the bulk stream.
Claims21
A method of generating data relating to the quality of product in a bulk stream of product during its passage through a monitoring station, wherein an inspection of at least a portion of product in the monitoring station is conducted at intervals while the stream is flowing, the inspection identifying individual product pieces in said portion, examining those individual pieces according to chosen criteria, and establishing a measure of the quality or proportion of such individual product is analysed to provide an indication of the quality of the bulk stream.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein the inspection is conducted while the bulk stream is at full flow rate.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein the inspection is repeated at regular intervals.
A method according to any preceding claim when the inspection comprises creating images of portions of product in the monitoring station and analysing such images as aforesaid.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein the number of product pieces identified in an inspection as failing to meet said chosen criteria is used to estimate the proportion of such product pieces in the bulk stream of product.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein one of the chosen criteria is breakage.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein one of the chosen criteria is length
A method according to any preceding claim integrated within a machine for sorting product in the bulk stream.
A method according to any preceding claim wherein the bulk product is rice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.