US 12,232,439 B2
Seed production apparatus and method based on multistage screening and bud eye identification
Changhe Li, Qingdao (CN); Huayang Zhao, Qingdao (CN); Dongzhou Jia, Qingdao (CN); Rong Wang, Qingdao (CN); Huimin Yang, Qingdao (CN); Jia Shi, Qingdao (CN); Yezhen Peng, Qingdao (CN); Peng Gong, Qingdao (CN); Qiyu Zhou, Qingdao (CN); Deju Li, Qingdao (CN); Zongbin Yuan, Qingdao (CN); and Yali Hou, Qingdao (CN)
Assigned to Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao (CN); Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi (CN); and Inner Mongolia University For Nationalities, Tongliao (CN)
Filed by Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao (CN); Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi (CN); and Inner Mongolia University For Nationalities, Tongliao (CN)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/349,725.
Claims priority of application No. 202010556037.8 (CN), filed on Jun. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0392809 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A01C 1/06 (2006.01); A01C 1/00 (2006.01); A01C 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC A01C 1/005 (2013.01) [A01C 1/06 (2013.01); A01C 1/08 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seed production apparatus, comprising:
a feeding module, which feeds seed potatoes with mass and shapes meeting requirements, screened out through a multistage screening and limiting mechanism;
a pre-cutting module, which receives the seed potatoes discharged from the feeding module, and cut each seed potato into two halves along a symmetry plane where a major axis of the seed potato is positioned;
a bud eye identifying and cutting module, which receives seed potato pieces discharged from the pre-cutting module, determines a weight of each seed potato piece, identifies bud eye distribution on a surface of the seed potato piece, and cuts the seed potato piece into a plurality of tubers as required, so that bud eyes are uniformly distributed on different tubers in number; and,
a material mixing module, which receives the tubers and complete mixing of the tubers with a mixing material;
wherein the bud eye identifying and cutting module comprises:
a material bearing disk, wherein the material bearing disc is provided with four pairs of material bearing disc circular grooves;
the material bearing disc rotates along a vertical axis, such that each pair of material bearing disc circular grooves is switched among a material falling station, an identification station, a cutting station, and a disinfection station;
the material bearing disc circular grooves at the material falling station receive the seed potato pieces discharged from the pre-cutting module;
and,
an identification assembly is arranged above the identification station, wherein the identification assembly identifies a position distribution of the bud eyes on an external circular surface of each seed potato piece and a weight of the seed potato piece; and transmits information to a control system, wherein the control system outputs an instruction about a cutting number and a cutter cutting solution to a cutter assembly according to a preset program, and the seed potato pieces at the cutting station are cut into the tubers as required by the cutter assembly;
wherein the bud eye identifying and cutting module comprises a fixing plate that is arranged horizontally; the fixing plate is supported through a machine frame; and
the identification assembly and the cutter assembly are arranged on a lower end surface of the fixing plate, the identification assembly comprises a camera and an infrared ranging part; and, is positioned right above the identification station;
arc-shaped blades in different structural forms are extended out from the cutter assembly, and the cutter assembly drives the arc-shaped blades to rotate along vertical axes thereof, so as to adapt to the instruction output from the control system.