EP0240185A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains
Assignee: Satake Engineering Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-03-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-03-10
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains. The apparatus comprises a near infrared spectrometer (3) having a bandpass filter (33) and detecting means (35a, 35b) for detecting the intensity of reflected light from the sample rice (55); control means (5) having a memory device (4b) for storing various values and a calculation device (4c) for performing various calculations; indicating device (6, 8) for displaying or printing the various calculated values; and a sample case (52) for being filled with the sample rice and being disposed at the measuring portion (37) within the near infrared spectrometer (3). The apparatus is capable of measuring the content percentages of pre-selected constituent or constituents, such as, of protein, either amylose or amylopectin and moisture of the rice grains, calculating a quality evaluation value of the sample rice based on the measured and calculated values and powers established for the pre-selected constituents, and displaying the calculated evaluation value of the sample rice.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshihiko Satake
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 09:22
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4738; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/12; G01J2003/1226; G01J2003/123; G01J2003/1243; G01N21/25; G01N21/31; G01N2021/3129; G01N2021/4764; G01N2021/4769; G01N21/84; G01N21/85; G01N2021/8592; G01N21/35; G01N21/3554; G01N21/359; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/06; G01N2201/065; G01N2201/12; G01N2201/126; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S250/00; Y10S250/91
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
281 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains based on the measured values obtained by measuring content percentages of a pre-selected constituent or constituents of rice grains, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a near infrared spectrometer (3) having a light source (31), a band-pass filter (33) allowing the passage of only such specific wavelengths of the light from said light source (31) that are adapted to the measurement of content percentages of the constituents of the sample rice grains (55) and producing near infrared monochromatic light to be incident on the sample rice at a measuring portion (37), and detecting means (35a,35b) for detecting the intensity of reflected light from said sample rice (55) at said measuring portion (37) and producing detection signals; control means (4) having a memory device (4b) for storing content conversion coefficients for the calculation of the content percentages established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents and specific powers for the calculation of the quality evaluation values of the sample rice established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents of said sample rice, and calculation device (4c) for calculating the content percentages and the quality evaluation values of the sample rice grains based on said content conversion coefficients and said specific powers stored in said memory device (4b) as well as said detection signals from said detecting means (35a,35b); indicating means (6,8), connected to said control means (4), for visually displaying or printing said content percentages and said quality evaluation values of said sample rice grains calculated in said calculation device (4c); and a sample case (52) to be filled with said sample rice (55) and disposed at said measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
281 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains based on the measured values obtained by measuring content percentages of a pre-selected constituent or constituents of rice grains, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a near infrared spectrometer (3) having a light source (31), a band-pass filter (33) allowing the passage of only such specific wavelengths of the light from said light source (31) that are adapted to the measurement of content percentages of the constituents of the sample rice grains (55) and producing near infrared monochromatic light to be incident on the sample rice at a measuring portion (37), and detecting means (35a,35b) for detecting the intensity of reflected light from said sample rice (55) at said measuring portion (37) and producing detection signals; control means (4) having a memory device (4b) for storing content conversion coefficients for the calculation of the content percentages established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents and specific powers for the calculation of the quality evaluation values of the sample rice established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents of said sample rice, and calculation device (4c) for calculating the content percentages and the quality evaluation values of the sample rice grains based on said content conversion coefficients and said specific powers stored in said memory device (4b) as well as said detection signals from said detecting means (35a,35b); indicating means (6,8), connected to said control means (4), for visually displaying or printing said content percentages and said quality evaluation values of said sample rice grains calculated in said calculation device (4c); and a sample case (52) to be filled with said sample rice (55) and disposed at said measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 1, in which said band-pass filter (33) has specific wavelength passing properties adapted for measuring, out of constituents of the sample rice, at least content percentages of protein, content percentages of either amylose or amylopectin, and content percentages of moisture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 1 or 2, in which said band-pass filter (33) disposed between said light source (31) and said measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3) is such that its tilting angle is variable for varying an angle of incidence with respect to a surface of said filter (33).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 1, in which said band-pass filter (33) is constituted by a plurality of filters (33a-33f) each of which has a given wavelength as a nominal wavelength in the wavelength region 1900-2500 nm, each of said plurality. of filters (33a-33f) being in a rotating disc form.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 1, which further comprises an inputting means (9) for inputting information in the memory device (4b) of said control means (4).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 5, in which said inputting means (9) is adapted to input into said memory device (4b) such information as costs of rice grains represented by the sample rice grains and conditions for blending them and said calculation device (4c) is adapted to calculate the most suitable blending ratio based on such input information.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
338 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains based on the measured values obtained by measuring content percentages of a pre-selected constituent or constituents of rice grains, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a near infrared spectrometer (3) having a light source (31), a band-pass filter (33) allowing the passage of only such specific wavelengths of the light from said light source (31) that are adapted to the measurement of content percentages of the constituents of the sample rice grains (55) and producing near infrared monochromatic light to be incident on the sample rice at a measuring portion (37), and detecting means (35a,35b) for detecting the intensity of reflected light from said sample rice (55) at said measuring portion (37) and producing detection signals; control means (4) having a memory device (4b) for storing content conversion coefficients for the calculation of the content percentages established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents and specific powers for the calculation of the quality evaluation values of the sample rice established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents of said sample rice, and calculation device (4c) for calculating the content percentages and the quality evaluation values of the sample rice grains based on said content conversion coefficients and said specific powers stored in said memory device (4b) as well as said detection signals from said detecting means (35a,35b); indicating means (6,8), connected to said control means (4), for visually displaying or printing said content percentages and said quality evaluation values of said sample rice grains calculated in said calculation device (4c); a sample case - (52) to be filled with said sample rice (55) and disposed at said measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3); and a sample rice supplying means including a sample grain grinding means (20) for grinding sample rice grains and filling said sample case (52) with the ground sample and a sample rice positioning means (40) for moving said sample case (52) to and positioning the same at the measuring portion (37-) of said near infrared spectrometer (3).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
338 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains based on the measured values obtained by measuring content percentages of a pre-selected constituent or constituents of rice grains, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a near infrared spectrometer (3) having a light source (31), a band-pass filter (33) allowing the passage of only such specific wavelengths of the light from said light source (31) that are adapted to the measurement of content percentages of the constituents of the sample rice grains (55) and producing near infrared monochromatic light to be incident on the sample rice at a measuring portion (37), and detecting means (35a,35b) for detecting the intensity of reflected light from said sample rice (55) at said measuring portion (37) and producing detection signals; control means (4) having a memory device (4b) for storing content conversion coefficients for the calculation of the content percentages established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents and specific powers for the calculation of the quality evaluation values of the sample rice established correspondingly to said pre-selected constituents of said sample rice, and calculation device (4c) for calculating the content percentages and the quality evaluation values of the sample rice grains based on said content conversion coefficients and said specific powers stored in said memory device (4b) as well as said detection signals from said detecting means (35a,35b); indicating means (6,8), connected to said control means (4), for visually displaying or printing said content percentages and said quality evaluation values of said sample rice grains calculated in said calculation device (4c); a sample case - (52) to be filled with said sample rice (55) and disposed at said measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3); and a sample rice supplying means including a sample grain grinding means (20) for grinding sample rice grains and filling said sample case (52) with the ground sample and a sample rice positioning means (40) for moving said sample case (52) to and positioning the same at the measuring portion (37-) of said near infrared spectrometer (3).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 7, in which said sample grain grinding means (20) includes at an upper portion thereof a hopper (202) for feeding sample rice grains, a pair of grinding rollers (210a,210b) disposed face to face below said hopper, and a pair of second rollers (212a,212b) disposed face to face below said grinding rollers for reducing the ground grains into powder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 7, in which said band-pass filter (33) has specific wavelength passing properties adapted for measuring, out of constituents of the sample rice, at least content percentages of protein, content percentages of either amylose or amylopectin, and content percentages of moisture.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice gains according to claim 7, in which said band-pass filter (33) disposed between said light source (31) and the measuring portion (37) of said near infrared spectrometer (3) is such that its tilting angle is variable for varying an angle of incidence with respect to a surface of said filter (33).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
58 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 7, in which said band-pass filter (33) is constituted by a plurality of filters (33a-33f) each of which has a given wavelength as a nominal wavelength in the wavelength region 1900-2500 nm, and each of said plurality of filters (33a-33f) being in a rotating polygonal form.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 7, which further comprises an inputting means (9) for inputting information in the memory device (4b) of said control means (4).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus for evaluating the quality of rice grains according to claim 12, in which said inputting means (9) is adapted to input into said memory device-----(4b) such information as costs of rice grains represented by the sample rice grains and conditions for blending them and said calculation device (4c) is adapted to calculate the most suitable blending ratio based on such input information.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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