# US 9,435,783 B2 · Hatching egg inspection apparatus and hatching egg inspecting method using a central and outer light emitter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,783 B2 - Document ID: US9435783B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/399,160 - Filed: 2014-05-16 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-14 - Assignees: Nabel Co., Ltd. - Applicants: NABEL Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kunio Nambu; Kenji Yasuda; Toyoaki Ohashi; Hiroshige Iguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435783B2 ## CPC - G01N 33/085: {by candling} - A01K 43/00: Testing, sorting or cleaning eggs (investigating or analysing eggs, e.g. by candling G01N33/08); {Conveying devices (for batteries A01K31/165); Pick-up devices} - G01N 21/49: within a body or fluid - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - G01N 33/08: Eggs, e.g. by candling - G01N 2021/845: {Objects on a conveyor} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A hatching egg inspection apparatus includes: a plurality of light emitter, the light emitter being disposed two dimensionally at prescribed positions; light receiver, which are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the light emitter and each of which receives light from the corresponding light emitter; and an egg container, which is for arraying in advance a hatching egg between each of the light emitter and the light receiver corresponding thereto. Each hatching egg is inspected by the corresponding light receiver that receives, among the lights from all the light emitter, transmitted light that transmitted through the interior of the hatching egg. When one light emitter of the plurality of light emitter is emitting light, other of the light emitter within a prescribed range centered on the one light emitter do not emit light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An incubating egg inspection apparatus comprising: a plurality of light emitters disposed two dimensionally at prescribed positions; light receivers provided in a one-to-one relationship with the light emitters, each of the light receivers being configured to receive light from the corresponding light emitter; and an egg container configured to array in advance a plurality of incubating eggs between each of the light emitters and the light receivers corresponding thereto; wherein each incubating egg is inspected by the corresponding light receiver that receives, among the lights from all the light emitters, transmitted light that transmitted through the interior of the incubating egg, and a controller causing a central light emitter to emit light, the central light emitter being one of the plurality of light emitters to emit light, the controller also preventing an inner light emitter within a prescribed range from emitting light, the prescribed range being centered about the central light emitter; the controller further causing an outer light emitter to emit light at the same time as the central light emitter emits light, wherein the outer light emitter is positioned outside of the prescribed range centered about the central light emitter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An incubating egg inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each light emitter is configured to periodically emit light multiple times for the inspection of one incubating egg. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An incubating egg inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitters and the plurality of light receivers respectively constitute a plurality of inspection units in a one-to-one relationship; and the plurality of inspection units are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of incubating eggs that are inspected at a one-time inspection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An incubating egg inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: light passing members, each light passing member tightly appressed to its corresponding incubating egg and guiding only the light that transmits through its corresponding incubating egg to its corresponding light receiver. ### Claim 5 An incubating egg inspecting method that uses an inspection apparatus that comprises: a plurality of light emitters disposed two dimensionally at prescribed positions; light receivers, each of the light receivers being configured to receive light from the corresponding light emitters; an egg container configured to array in advance a plurality of incubating eggs between each of the light emitters and the light receivers corresponding thereto; and a controller; the method comprising the steps of: controlling the plurality of light emitters such that when one of the light emitters is emitting light, other of the light emitters within a prescribed range centered about the one light emitter do not emit light; causing at least one other of the light emitters outside of the prescribed range centered about the one light emitter to emit light at the same time as the one light emitter; the light receivers receiving, of the lights from all the light emitters, transmitted light that transmitted through the interior of the corresponding incubating egg; and inspecting the incubating eggs based on the lights received by the light receivers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) An incubating egg inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of light emitters and the plurality of light receivers respectively constitute a plurality of inspection units in a one-to-one relationship; and the plurality of inspection units are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of incubating eggs that are inspected at a one-time inspection.