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Method and apparatus for sorting a flow of objects as a function of optical properties of the objects

  • US 5,090,576 A
  • Filed: 12/19/1989
  • Issued: 02/25/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for sorting objects as a function of optical properties of the objects, comprising:

  • conveying the objects over an object plane, all the objects passing a strip of the object plane;

    detecting light rays originating from the strip by one or more image pick-up units which each have a row of image pick-up elements in an image plane of the image pick-up unit;

    and for each image pick-up unit;

    repeated scanning of the row of image pick-up elements to form a primary line signal which contains image information which is a function of the optical properties of the objects and which comprises, for each scan, a primary group of primary intervals corresponding to the image pick-up elements;

    comparing the line signal with at least one reference signal; and

    energizing, as a function of the result of comparison, an ejection device, corresponding to the comparison time instant, of a number of ejection devices for the objects arranged downstream of the strip and corresponding to sections of the strip;

    and comprising consecutively assigning, in accordance with a predetermined scheme, the image information, obtained during a scan, of each group of primary intervals to a corresponding secondary group of equal secondary intervals of a secondary line signal in a manner such that the distribution of the information assigned to a secondary group corresponds linearly to the distribution of the optical properties in the strip, each secondary interval corresponding to an associated sub-section of the strip, each having an equal length.

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