US 12,222,292 B2
Optical sorter
Tadashi Matsushita, Tokyo (JP); Takuya Nishida, Tokyo (JP); and Masaaki Sadamaru, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SATAKE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/042,685
Filed by SATAKE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 23, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/030740
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 23, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/045047, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-142857 (JP), filed on Aug. 26, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0333025 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/85 (2006.01); B07C 5/342 (2006.01); B07C 5/36 (2006.01); G01N 21/84 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/85 (2013.01) [B07C 5/3425 (2013.01); B07C 5/366 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8416 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8592 (2013.01); G01N 2201/127 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical sorter comprising:
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 including a reflection region on which the light emitted from the light source is reflected,
wherein the optical sensor is further configured to detect the light emitted from the light source and reflected on the reflection region.