JP7533293B2 - Machining system and control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing system and control method for the carcass skinning process.

In the field of meat processing, etc., a skinning process for skinning carcasses of cattle, pigs, sheep, etc., which are to be used for food, has been known for some time. In the skinning process, for example, a worker cuts open the abdominal skin of a hanging carcass in the length direction using a knife or the like using the working equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1. The cut open skin is then skinned on the left and right sides, and two workers in charge of skinning the right and left abdominal sides cut the joints between the meat and skin of each part with an air knife or the like while rolling up the skin of the skinned carcass. Skinning from a carcass requires delicate work so as not to damage either the meat or the skin, and is therefore a task that requires skill. However, as workers are getting older, it is difficult to secure skilled workers and new workers, and so there has been a demand for automation of the skinning process.

JP 2000-300161 A

The object of the present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can automate the peeling process and ensure productivity and profitability.

One aspect of the disclosed technique for solving the above problem is to
1. A control system for peeling a skin portion from a meat portion of a carcass, comprising:
a first subsystem for performing a processing step of incising a skin portion of the abdominal region of the carcass in a longitudinal direction, incising the skin portion around the body at one end of the longitudinal direction of the abdominal region, and partially peeling the skin portion incised around the body to a range where the skin can be retained;
a second subsystem having a roller on which the skin part partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, the second subsystem rotating the roller to wind up the engaged skin part and peeling the skin part off the meat part of the carcass;
a third subsystem having a sensor for detecting a boundary between a meat portion and a skin portion of the carcass, the third subsystem performing a processing step of contacting a temperature-controlled knife with the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion detected by the sensor;
The present invention is characterized by comprising:

Thus, the control system can perform a pre-process of incising the skin portion Z1a in the longitudinal direction from the buttocks to the head of the carcass Z1 using the robot 11a, the servo mechanisms 20a to 20c, the temperature adjustment mechanism 30a, and the length measurement sensor 12, which are the first subsystem. The control system can also perform a winding process of peeling the skin portion Z1a from the meat portion (Z1b) of the carcass (Z1) by rotating the roller 206 to which the skin portion Z1a partially peeled to the engagement range is engaged, and peeling the skin portion (Z1a) off. The control system can then use the third subsystem, the robot 11b, the temperature control mechanism 30b, the two-dimensional sensor 13, and the image sensor, to perform a winding process in which a skinning knife 15, which is a temperature-controlled metal piece, is brought into contact with the boundary between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1. In this embodiment, the skin portion Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin portion Z1a into contact with the meat interface of the heated metal piece. The skinning process can be automated, making it possible to ensure productivity and profitability.

In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the temperature of the knife may be adjusted to a temperature range in which the subcutaneous fat of the carcass can melt and the skin can be removed. This allows the heat from the skinning knife 15, which is heated to a constant temperature in the temperature range in which the subcutaneous fat can melt (e.g., 40°C to 50°C), to melt the subcutaneous fat at the joint where the knife is in contact while cutting between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b. This prevents a piece of meat from being torn off from the meat portion Z1b that was connected together through the subcutaneous fat, and prevents partial damage to the skin portion Z1a.

In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first subsystem may have a temperature-adjustable jig part and an abdominal incision blade attached integrally to the upper part of the jig part, and the bottom part of the jig part, which is temperature-adjusted to a temperature range in which the subcutaneous fat of the carcass can melt (for example, 40 degrees to 50 degrees), may be brought into contact with the meat part of the abdominal area of the carcass, and the skin part of the abdominal area may be incised using the abdominal incision blade attached to the upper part of the jig part. This allows the skin part Z1a to be incised at the skin incision part (142, 144) while the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen is melted by heat from the jig part (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14. This makes it possible to prevent a piece of meat from being torn off from the meat part Z1b that was connected integrally through the subcutaneous fat, and to prevent partial damage to the skin part Z1a.

In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first subsystem to the third subsystem may be connected to a controller that manages the processing steps of the first subsystem, the processing steps of the second subsystem, and the processing steps of the third subsystem through a communication network, the first subsystem may include a first articulated robot that drives according to a control command output from the controller, and the third subsystem may include a second articulated robot that drives according to a control command output from the controller. This allows the first articulated robot, robot 11a, and the second articulated robot, robot 11b, to be linked and cooperated based on a control command from a controller (upper controller 10), which is a computer that manages and controls the overall processing process of the peeling process, including the pre-process and the winding process. Since it becomes possible to simultaneously process the pre-process and the winding process of the peeling process, it becomes possible to shorten the takt time related to the processing.

In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first articulated robot may perform the processing step of the third subsystem in accordance with the control command output from the controller. This allows a single robot to perform the pre-processing and winding process, making the system more compact and reducing the running costs associated with the equipment.

In another aspect of the disclosed technology,
1. A computer implemented control method for a control system for peeling a skin portion from a meat portion of a carcass, comprising:
A processing step of cutting open the skin of the abdominal region of the carcass in the longitudinal direction, cutting open one end of the abdominal region in the longitudinal direction around the torso, and partially peeling the skin cut around the torso to a range where it can be held;
A processing step is performed in which a roller is provided on which the skin part partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, and the roller is rotated to wind up the engaged skin part while peeling the skin part off the meat part of the carcass;
a processing step of having a sensor for detecting a boundary between a meat portion and a skin portion of the carcass and contacting a temperature-controlled knife with the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion detected by the sensor;
A control method comprising:

Even in this configuration, the control system can perform a pre-processing step of incising the skin portion Z1a in the longitudinal direction from the rump to the head of the carcass Z1 using the robot 11a, servo mechanisms 20a to 20c, temperature adjustment mechanism 30a, and length measurement sensor 12, which are the first subsystem. The control system can also perform a winding process using the servo mechanism 20d and roller 206, which are the second subsystem, to rotate the roller 206 to which the skin portion Z1a partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, thereby winding up the skin portion (Z1a), while peeling the skin portion (Z1a) from the meat portion (Z1b) of the carcass (Z1). The control system can then use the third subsystem, the robot 11a, the temperature adjustment mechanism 30b, the two-dimensional sensor 13, and the image sensor, to perform a winding process in which a skinning knife 15, which is a temperature-controlled metal piece, is brought into contact with the boundary between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1. Even in this embodiment, the skin portion Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin portion Z1a into contact with the meat interface while the metal piece is still warm. The skinning process can be automated, ensuring productivity and profitability.

The present invention provides a technology that automates the peeling process and ensures productivity and profitability.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process for skinning a carcass in a comparative example. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow of a peeling step in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a winding configuration in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a winding configuration in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a winding configuration in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a winding form in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a host controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a pre-process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a winding process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of boundary detection according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of boundary detection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Application example]
Hereinafter, application examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
2 to 4, the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention includes a robot 11a, servo mechanisms (20a to 20c), a temperature control mechanism 30a, and a length measurement sensor 12 as components for cutting open the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the pre-process of the skinning process and cutting the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen to the left and right. The control system 1 also includes a robot 11b, a servo mechanism 20d, a temperature control mechanism 30b, and a two-dimensional shape sensor 13 as components for winding up the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process of the skinning process and for separating the skin part Z1a from the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 in the winding process of the skinning process. These components are connected to a host controller 10 of a computer that manages and controls the overall processing process of the skinning process including the pre-process and the winding process that are the object of control by the control system 1 so as to be able to communicate at an appropriate timing.

The robot 11a of the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention is fitted with an abdominal incision blade 14 provided with a heater H1 whose heating temperature can be controlled by a temperature adjustment unit 31a. Then, in the robot 11a, based on control commands generated by the upper controller 10 based on information detected by the image sensor, length measurement sensor 12, etc., the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 is melted by the heat of the heated abdominal incision blade 14, while the abdominal incision process of the carcass Z1 and the process of cutting open the carcass Z1 from the abdomen to the left and right around the torso of the carcass Z1 are performed.

The robot 11b of the control system 1 according to the application example of the present invention is fitted with a skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece provided with a heater H2 whose heating temperature can be controlled by a temperature adjustment unit 31b. In this embodiment, the skin portion Z1a is separated from the meat portion Z1B by bringing the skin portion Z1a into contact with the meat interface while the metal piece is heated. Then, the robot 11b performs a separation process at the seam between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1B peeled from the carcass Z1 while melting the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 with the heat of the heated skinning knife 15, based on a control command generated by the upper controller 10 based on information detected by the image sensor, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, etc.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to this application example, the servo motor M4 is servo-controlled via the servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque of the roller 206 that winds up the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is constant. For this reason, the roller 206 fitted to the rotating shaft of the servo motor M4 is controlled so that the skin portion Z1a of the peeled carcass Z1 is wound up with a constant pulling force. Torque control by the servo motor M4 makes it possible to wind up the peeled skin portion Z1a while preventing the meat portion Z1b from being pulled off and the skin portion Z1a from tearing.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to this application example, the location where the bark portion Z1a at the joint is caught can be identified from the captured image during peeling in response to the timing of the increase in the torque value of the servo motor M4 that drives the roller 206, and an instruction can be given to the robot 11b to cut that location. This application provides a control system that can automate the peeling process and ensure productivity and profitability.

Example 1
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

First, as a comparative example, a conventional skinning process of a carcass will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1(a) illustrates a process of cutting open the abdomen of a carcass Z1 in the skinning process (hereinafter also referred to as the "pre-process"), and Fig. 1(b) illustrates a process of rolling up the skin of the carcass Z1 that has been skinned while cutting the seam between the meat part Z1a and the skin part Z1b of the carcass Z1 with an air knife 207 or the like (hereinafter also referred to as the "winding process"). In the following, the carcass Z1 will be described as a cow's body, but the carcass to be subjected to the skinning process may be any other animal, for example, livestock such as pigs and sheep, or birds and beasts captured by hunting such as bears and deer, as long as it is used for meat or the like. In Fig. 1, the carcass Z1 to be skinned has been subjected to processes such as skinning of the front and back legs and face, cutting off the tail, and cutting into cubes in the butchering process leading up to the skinning process, and the left and right back legs of the carcass Z1 are suspended using hooks (203a, 203b) of a crane or the like. The skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1 from the back legs to the buttocks has been skinned, and the meat portion Z1b is exposed. Note that Fig. 1 shows a side view of the right belly of the carcass Z1 in a suspended state. Also, the carcass Z1 to be skinned is shown as an example with the head Z1c remaining, but the carcass Z1 in the skinning process is shown as a side view of the right belly of the carcass Z1.
1 may be a carcass that has already been subjected to head-cutting processing.

In the front-end process of FIG. 1(a), the worker M1 gets on the work platform 201a of the movable lift 201 that moves up and down in the height direction, and moves to a height position for cutting open the abdomen of the suspended carcass Z1. Then, the worker M1 cuts open the abdomen of the carcass Z1 using the knife 202 or the like while lowering the work platform 201a. As the work platform 201a descends, the skin of the abdomen that comes into contact with the knife 202 or the like is cut open from the end of the hind legs to the head Z1c. The skin part Z1b of the abdomen on the hind legs of the carcass Z1 is partially cut open from the abdomen to the left and right back directions around the torso of the carcass Z1 in order to wind up the peeled skin part Z1b in the winding process. In the front-end process of FIG. 1(a), the work is performed without damaging the peeled skin part Z1a and the meat part Z1b, so the worker who performs this process is required to be skilled. After the previous process, the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1 with the hind leg end cut open is peeled, and the process proceeds to a winding process in which the skin part Z1a peeled from the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 is wound up. Note that while FIG. 1(a) shows the skin part Z1a peeled from the meat part Z1b on the right ventral side, the skin part Z1a goes around the dorsal side and is integrally connected to the skin part peeled from the left ventral side. Note that in preparation for the winding process, a portion of the skin part Z1a adjacent to the cut at the hind leg end is peeled.

In the winding process, a down puller 205 is used to wind up the skin part Z1a, which is partially peeled from the carcass Z1. The down puller 205 is equipped with a roller 206 that moves with a work platform 204a provided on a movable lift 204 that moves up and down in the height direction. The roller 206 is rotated in the winding direction around a rotation axis by a driving device such as a motor. In FIG. 1(b), workers M2 and M3 board the work platform 204a and move to a height position for winding the tip of the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the previous process onto the roller 206. Then, workers M2 and M3 work together to wind the end of the skin part Z1a on the right ventral side, which is connected by a single piece of skin, and the end of the skin part peeled from the left ventral side onto the roller 206 using a chain 206a or the like. After wrapping the skin portion of the carcass Z1 around the roller 206, the roller 206 is rotated in the winding direction to wind up the skin portion Z1a, and the work of cutting the seam between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b using an air knife 207 or the like is started. The air knife 207 is a cutting tool that rotates a rotatable saw blade by air pressure, as shown in the figure. When the work starts (as the winding roller 206 rotates), the work platform 204a on which the workers M2 and M3 sit begins to descend.

1(b), worker M2 rotates the saw blade with the air pressure of the air knife 207 to cut off the skin from the left ventral side of the carcass Z1, and worker M3 cuts off the skin Z1a from the right ventral side. In this way, the work of cutting off the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1 using the air knife 207 etc. while winding up the peeled skin Z1a with the roller 206 is performed by workers M2 and M3 in cooperation, so delicate skill is required. In the winding process, the above-mentioned work of cutting off the skin Z1a from the carcass Z1 is performed while lowering the work table 204a, and the skin Z1a from the position cut open to the left and right around the body of the carcass Z1 at the abdominal area on the hind leg side, which was cut open in the previous process, to the head Z1c is peeled from the carcass Z1. The single hide portion Z1a that has been processed by the winding process, and the carcass Z1 from which the hide portion has been peeled, are each transferred to the next processing step for shipping.

As explained using Figures 1(a) and (b), the skinning process of the carcass Z1 requires skill and delicacy in both the pre-processing and winding processes to proceed without damaging the skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b that have been skinned. In order to continuously carry out the skinning process from the pre-processing to the winding process, it was necessary to secure at least three skilled workers.

<System Overview>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. The control system 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of a form including robots (11a, 11b) for processing the work of the peeling process, length measuring sensors (12a, 12b), and two-dimensional shape sensors (13a, 13b). By providing a plurality of robots for processing the work of the peeling process, the processing of the pre-peeling process and the winding process can be linked and cooperated and processed simultaneously, so that the tact time related to the processing can be shortened. In the following, the robot 11a is described as processing the pre-peeling process and the robot 11b is described as processing the winding process, but a single robot may perform the pre-peeling process and the winding process. By having a single robot perform the pre-peeling process and the winding process, the system can be made compact, and the running costs related to the equipment can be reduced. 2 shows a side view of the right belly Z1e of the carcass Z1 suspended by a hook of a crane or the like, and illustrates a robot 11b for performing the winding process, which is provided on a work platform 204a of a movable lift 204. The robots (11a, 11b) are also collectively referred to as robot 11, the length measuring sensors (12a, 12b) are also collectively referred to as length measuring sensor 12, and the two-dimensional shape sensors (13a, 13b) are also collectively referred to as two-dimensional shape sensor 13.

The robot 11 according to this embodiment is, for example, a vertical multi-joint robot having a movable part composed of multiple joints and multiple arms. Each of the multiple joints has a built-in motor having a sensor (rotary encoder, etc.) that detects the rotation angle (rotation position), and the twisting and bending movements of the arm connected to the joint are controlled based on the rotation angle detected by the sensor.

The tip of the robot 11 is provided with a flange to which various tools such as a suction device and a clipper (two-fingered hand, etc.) can be attached. In this embodiment, a skinning knife 15 for peeling the skin part Z1a from the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 is attached via a flange to the tip of the robots 11a and 11b. In addition, an image sensor (camera) is provided near the flange of the robot 11, and the presence of obstacles in the surrounding area (work tables, other robots, workers, etc.) is detected via the image sensor, and an overall image of the carcass Z1 to be skinned is captured.

The length measuring sensor 12 is a sensor that measures the relative distance to the measurement object. The length measuring sensor 12 has, for example, a light projecting surface and a light receiving surface on the same surface, and measures the distance between the measurement object based on the principle of triangular distance by receiving the reflected light of visible laser light projected from the light projecting surface toward the measurement object. In this embodiment, the relative distance to the previous process carcass Z1 is measured via the length measuring sensor 12, and the angle of the blade for making the abdominal incision is adjusted according to the measured distance value. Note that the measurement of the distance by the length measuring sensor 12 may be in the form of infrared rays, ultrasound, etc., as long as the angle of the blade for making the abdominal incision can be adjusted according to the measured distance value. Furthermore, a high-precision image sensor, etc., may be used instead of the length measuring sensor 12 as long as the angle of the blade for making the abdominal incision can be adjusted.

The two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is a sensor that detects features related to the shape of the object to be measured. The two-dimensional shape sensor 13, for example, has a light-projecting surface and a light-receiving surface on the same surface, and detects features related to the shape of the object to be measured by receiving reflected light of a band-shaped visible laser light projected from the light-projecting surface toward the object to be measured. Features related to the shape of the surface of the object to be measured irradiated with the band-shaped visible laser light are detected as a displacement of the reflected light. In this embodiment, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 detects a change in the height direction of the seam between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1 during the winding process, and identifies the location where the blade will be applied when winding the skin portion Z1a.

For example, the part where there is an angle change (the amount of angle change is called a feature) on the surface of the object to be measured, detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, is captured as an "inflection point" (called a feature point). The feature, i.e., the points where the angle change is detected, are connected to form a line and the seam between the meat and skin is detected. In the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, for example, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13a is provided on the right ventral side of the carcass Z1 to detect the seam between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a at that part. In addition, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13b is provided on the left ventral side of the carcass Z1 to detect the seam between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a at that part.

In the carcass Z1 to be skinned, subcutaneous fat is present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b, and the presence of this subcutaneous fat is a factor that makes it difficult to peel the skin portion Z1a from the carcass Z1. In conventional work, an experienced worker would rely on his senses to determine the subcutaneous fat at the junction between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b, and would then adjust the placement of the cutting blade and the amount of force used.

The inventors of the present application focused on the temperature at which subcutaneous fat melts. That is, while the melting point of subcutaneous fat is generally in the temperature range of 10 to 40 degrees, the skinning process is generally carried out at room temperature. Therefore, for example, by contacting a heated metal piece with the meat interface, which is the joint between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1, it is possible to promote the melting of the subcutaneous fat and easily separate the skin portion Z1a. In this embodiment, as described below, the abdominal incision blade 14 used in the previous process and the skinning knife 15 used in the winding process are each heated to above room temperature to promote the melting of the subcutaneous fat, making it easier to peel the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the abdominal incision blade 14 used in the pre-process and the skinning knife 15 used in the winding process are each provided with a heater (H1, H2). In this embodiment, the temperature of the abdominal incision blade 14 during the pre-process and the temperature of the skinning knife 15 during the winding process are heated to above room temperature. The hardening temperature of the main protein in meat is 50 degrees or higher. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heating temperature of the heater H1 provided on the abdominal incision blade 14 and the heating temperature of the heater H2 provided on the skinning knife 15 are adjusted within the range of 40 degrees, which is the upper limit of the temperature range at which subcutaneous fat begins to melt, to 50 degrees, which is the hardening temperature of protein.

As an example of the shape of the abdominal incision blade 14, for example, the shapes shown in the abdominal incision blades 14a and 14b in FIG. 2 are exemplified. The abdominal incision blade 14a has an arch-shaped jig part 141 provided with a heater H1 for melting subcutaneous fat, and a skin cutting part 142 that functions as a knife for cutting open the skin part Z1a. The arch-shaped jig part 141 is formed bluntly, so that the surface of the bottom part 141b of the jig part abuts against the carcass Z1 when cutting the abdomen. In the abdominal incision blade 14a, the jig part 141 corresponds to a heatable metal piece. When cutting the abdomen, the subcutaneous fat of the meat part Z1b abutting against the surface of the bottom part 141b of the jig part in a warmed state is melted by the heat conducted from the heater H1. The skin cutting portion 142 is located roughly in the center in the left-right direction on the upper portion 141a side of the arch-shaped jig portion 141, which faces the bottom portion 141b, and cuts the skin portion Z1a at the point where the jig portion abuts as the abdominal incision blade 14a moves. When the abdomen is incised, the end portion 143c of the jig portion 141 becomes the incision end.

The abdominal incision blade 14b also includes a semi-cylindrical jig part 143 provided with a heater H2 for melting subcutaneous fat, and a skin cutting part 144 that functions as a knife for cutting open the skin part Z1a. In the abdominal incision blade 14b, the jig part 143 corresponds to a heatable metal piece. The semi-cylindrical jig part 143 is formed dull, and the surface of the bottom part 143b of the jig part comes into contact with the carcass Z1 when the abdominal incision is made. When the abdominal incision is made, the subcutaneous fat of the meat part Z1b that comes into contact with the surface of the bottom part 141b of the jig part in a warmed state is melted by the heat conducted from the heater H1. The skin cutting portion 144 is provided so as to be located roughly in the center in the left-right direction on the upper portion 141a side facing the bottom portion 141b of the arch-shaped jig portion 141, and cuts the skin portion Z1a at the point where the jig portion abuts as the abdominal incision blade 14b moves. The skin cutting portion 144 opens in a U-shape on the end portion 143c side, and functions like a gut knife that cuts open the abdomen of the carcass Z1. When cutting the abdomen, the end portion 143c side of the jig portion 143 becomes the incision end.

The shapes of the abdominal incision blades 14a and 14b are merely examples, and any shape may be used as long as it does not damage the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1 to be skinned. Furthermore, the skin cutting portion 142 of the abdominal incision blade 14a and the skin cutting portion 144 of the abdominal incision blade 14b may be a rotary blade or ultrasonic cutter, or may be configured to perform non-contact cutting such as a laser cutter.

In this embodiment, the heating temperature is adjusted, for example, using a temperature adjustment unit (31a, 31b). The abdominal incision blade 14 and the skinning knife 15 are each provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature heated by the heater. The temperature adjustment unit 31a controls the temperature of the abdominal incision blade 14 during operation to a temperature range (e.g., 40 to 50 degrees) at which the subcutaneous fat melts and skinning can be performed, based on the heating temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a preset temperature range. Similarly, the temperature adjustment unit 31b controls the temperature of the skinning knife 15 during operation to a temperature range (e.g., 40 to 50 degrees) at which the subcutaneous fat melts and skinning can be performed, based on the heating temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a preset temperature range. In this embodiment, the abdominal incision blade 14, the skinning knife 15, etc., which are heated to the above temperature range, are brought into contact with the meat interface, which is the joint with the skin portion Z1a, in a warmed state, so that the skin portion Z1a can be incised and cut open while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b, and therefore, it is expected that the skinning operation in the previous process and the winding process will be smooth. In addition, according to this embodiment, the skin portion Z1a can be peeled while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b, so that, for example, it is possible to peel off a piece of meat from the meat portion Z1b that was connected to the skin portion Z1a through the subcutaneous fat, and to suppress partial damage to the skin portion Z1a. According to this embodiment, it is expected that the skinning process can be carried out without causing any damage to each of the peeled skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b.

The control system 1 according to this embodiment further includes servo mechanisms (20a to 20e) for smoothly carrying out the skinning operation from the carcass Z1 in the pre-process and winding process. Each servo mechanism includes a servo motor M1 that drives the controlled object and a servo driver 21, and each servo mechanism (20a to 20e) automatically controls the position, orientation, attitude, etc. of the controlled object to follow the target value as a control amount. In this embodiment, the servo mechanisms (20a to 20c) are used to perform the abdominal incision process in the pre-process. Specifically, the servo mechanism 20a is used to adjust the horizontal positioning of the abdominal incision blade 14. In addition, the servo mechanism 20b is used to control the vertical movement of the abdominal incision blade 14 during the abdominal incision. The abdominal incision blade 14 moves up and down, incising the front side and simultaneously incising the left and right sides within the reach of the blade. Then, the servo mechanism 20c is used to control the blade angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 to match the curved surface of the carcass Z1 when incising the left and right sides after the abdominal incision. The abdominal incision blade 14 is rotated so as to follow the surface of the carcass. Note that a skinning knife 15 may be used as the abdominal incision blade 14. In this embodiment, the servo mechanism 20d is used to control the rotation of the winding roller 206 of the down puller 205 for winding up the peeled skin portion Z1a in the winding process. The servo mechanism 20e controls the arm 210b of the fixing device 210 to extend and retract so that the end 210a is pressed against the carcass Z1 in the pre-process and winding process, thereby suppressing the shaking of the carcass Z1 during the work.

In the control system 1 of this embodiment, by using control operations based on the above-mentioned components, the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is cut open in the previous process, and the abdomen is cut open to the left and right around the torso of the carcass Z1, and in the winding process, the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is wound up and the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1 is separated from the skin portion Z1a.

<System Configuration>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the robot 11, the length measuring sensor 12, and the two-dimensional shape sensor described with reference to FIG. 2 are mutually connected to the upper controller 10 via a wired or wireless communication network N. In addition, the upper controller is connected to the servo mechanisms (20a to 20e) and the temperature adjustment units (31a, 31b) via the communication network N. The communication network N includes EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology, a registered trademark). Note that, in FIG. 3, a single communication network N is illustrated, but the communication network N may be composed of multiple networks with different standards, and the upper controller 10 and each component may be connected by a dedicated network. The upper controller 10 and each component are connected according to an appropriate communication method. In addition, in FIG. 3, a single upper controller 10 is illustrated, but multiple upper controllers may be connected, and the upper controller 10 may be composed of multiple controllers. For example, the host controller 10 may be configured by a set of a controller for controlling the robot 11, a controller for controlling each servo mechanism, and a controller for controlling each temperature adjustment unit. An example of such a controller is a programmable logic controller (PLC). Furthermore, the host controller 10 may include a dedicated computer for image recognition and a dedicated computer for analyzing the feature amount detected by the two-dimensional sensor 13.

In FIG. 3, the servo drivers (21a to 21e) constituting each servo mechanism are connected to a communication network N. A servo motor M1 is connected to the servo driver 21a, and similarly, servo motors M2, M3, M4, and M5 are connected to the servo drivers 21b, 21c, 21d, and 21e, respectively. The servo driver 21a and the servo motor M1 constituting the servo mechanism 20a are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a dedicated cable. The same is true for the other servo mechanisms (20b to 20e). Also, in FIG. 3, the temperature adjustment unit 31a and the temperature adjustment unit 31b are each connected to the communication network N. The temperature adjustment unit 31a is connected to the heater H1, constituting the temperature adjustment mechanism 30a. Similarly, the temperature adjustment unit 31b is connected to the heater H2, constituting the temperature adjustment mechanism 30b. The temperature adjustment mechanisms (30a, 30b) are also collectively referred to as the temperature adjustment mechanism 30. In addition, various switches related to control execution and various sensors that detect information that triggers the upper controller 10 to output control commands to each component device can be connected to the communication network N.

The upper controller 10 is a computer that manages and controls the overall treatment process of the peeling process, including the pre-process and winding process that are the objects of control by the control system 1 of this embodiment. The upper controller 10 generates and outputs control commands for each component connected to the communication network N as the treatment process it manages progresses. The treatment process managed by the upper controller 10 in the peeling process is roughly divided into (1) a preparation process, (2) a pre-process, (3) a winding process, and (4) a cleaning process. The upper controller 10 generates and outputs control commands in the order of the processes from (1) to (4), as shown in the treatment flow of the peeling process in Figure 4.

In the preparation step P1 shown in Fig. 4, control is performed to suppress the movement of the carcass Z1 suspended by a hook or the like. For example, the upper controller 10 grasps the entire carcass Z1 from the image captured by the image sensor installed in the robot 11 or the like through the communication network N, and outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20e based on the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12. The servo driver 21e of the servo mechanism 20e performs servo control of the servo motor M5 using the control command output from the upper controller 10 as a target value, and extends and retracts the arm 210b of the fixing device 210. The arm 210b extends through a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotating shaft of the servo motor M5, and the end 210a of the fixing device 210 is pressed against the carcass Z1. When a single robot performs the pre-process and the winding process, it may be fixed by pressing it against a wall or the like.

In the pre-process of P2, the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is incised, and the skin Z1a is cut open from the incision in the abdomen to the left and right around the torso. For example, the upper controller 10 grasps the entire carcass Z1 from an image captured by an image sensor provided on the robot 11 or the like through the communication network N, and outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20a based on the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12. The servo driver 21a of the servo mechanism 20a performs servo control of the servo motor M1 using the control command output from the upper controller 10 as a target value, and the abdominal incision blade 14 is positioned in the horizontal direction.
For example, the position of the robot 11a having an abdominal incision blade 14 attached to a flange moves horizontally via a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotating shaft of a servo motor M1, and the positioning for incising the abdominal part of the carcass Z1 is performed.

Next, the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a based on the captured image from the image sensor and the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12. The robot 11a performs servo control of a motor built into the joint of its own device, and moves the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached. The upper controller 10 appropriately acquires captured images and distance values as the movable part of the robot 11a moves, and outputs control commands at successive timings while adjusting the angle so that the abdominal incision blade 14 is inserted in accordance with the carcass Z1. The robot 11a moves the movable part to the part where the skin Z1a from the hind legs to the buttocks of the carcass Z1 has been peeled and the meat Z1b is exposed, and inserts and abuts the abdominal incision blade 14 against the part.

When the abdominal incision blade 14 comes into contact with the carcass Z1, the upper controller 10 outputs a specified heating temperature in the temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees as a control command to the temperature adjustment unit 31a. The temperature adjustment unit 31a starts heating the heater H1 provided on the abdominal incision blade 14 with the heating temperature included in the control command as a target value. The temperature adjustment unit 13a then acquires the heating temperature by the heater H1 via a temperature sensor, and controls the heating temperature of the heater H1 so that the abdominal incision blade 14 is in a temperature range that can melt the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1. In this embodiment, the temperature is controlled to be in the range of about 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.

After the heating of the abdominal incision blade 14 starts, the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20b based on the captured image of the image sensor and the distance value detected by the length measurement sensor 12. The servo driver 21b of the servo mechanism 20b performs servo control of the servo motor M2 using the control command output from the upper controller 10 as a target value, and the abdominal incision blade 14 is moved vertically. For example, through a worm gear or the like fitted to the rotation shaft of the servo motor M2, the height position of the robot 11a that has the abdominal incision blade 14 abutted against the carcass Z1 moves vertically downward, and the abdominal incision is started. The upper controller 10 appropriately acquires the captured image and the distance value, and outputs a control command to the robot 11a and the servo driver 21b at successive timings while adjusting the angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 according to the abdominal shape of the carcass Z1. Heating control of the heater H1 is continued via the temperature adjustment unit 13a so that the abdominal incision blade 14 is in the temperature range of 40° C. to 50° C. In the robot 11a, the angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 abutted against the carcass Z1 is adjusted with the control command as a target value, and in the servo mechanism 20b, the vertical height position of the robot 11a is adjusted with the control command as a target value, and an abdominal incision is made from near the buttocks to the head.

After the abdominal incision, the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the servo driver 21b to move the height position of the robot 11a to the abdominal incision start position. The upper controller 10 then outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20c to move the abdominal incision blade 14 from the abdominal incision site in the left-right direction around the torso. The servo driver 21c of the servo mechanism 20c uses the control command output from the upper controller 10 as a target value to servo control the servo motor M3 and rotates the carcass Z1 suspended by a hook or the like in the direction around the torso. The abdominal incision blade 14 abutting against the carcass Z1 moves relatively around the torso as the carcass Z1 rotates, and the skin Z1a is incised left and right while the heat from the abdominal incision blade 14 melts the subcutaneous fat in the abdomen.

In the winding process of P3, the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is wound around the roller 206. For example, the winding process may be as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the worker M4 clips the iron pieces P1a and P1b to the skin edge near the hind leg of the skin part Z1a after the previous process. The iron piece P1a is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the buttocks on the right side of the abdomen, and the iron piece P1b is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the buttocks on the left side of the abdomen. Then, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the articulated robot 11c is used to move the electromagnet P2 close to the iron pieces (P1a and P1b). One end of the cable W1 that connects the electromagnet P2 to the roller 206 is connected to the electromagnet P2. Here, the multi-joint robot 11c may be the robot 11a in which the abdominal incision blade 14 has been replaced with a multi-fingered hand or the like, or may be the robot 11b to which a multi-fingered hand is attached. The multi-joint robot 11c is equipped with an image sensor, for example, near the flange. The upper controller 10 connected to the multi-joint robot 11c via the communication network N recognizes the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped to the skin edge from the image captured by the image sensor, and moves the movable part to which the electromagnet P2 is attached close to the position of the iron pieces. Then, the electromagnet P2 is energized to attract the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped to the skin edge. After the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) are attracted, the skin part Z1a is wound up by the roller 206.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the articulated robot 11c clips the iron pieces P1a and P1b to the skin edge near the hind leg. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the articulated robot 11c holds the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) and the electromagnet P2 with non-magnetic fingertips. The articulated robot 11c then clips the iron pieces P1a and P1b to the skin edge of the skin part Z1a near the hind leg of the carcass Z1. The iron piece P1a is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the buttocks on the right side, for example, and the iron piece P1b is clipped to the skin edge peeled from the buttocks on the left side. As in FIG. 5, one end of the cable W1 that connects the electromagnet P2 to the roller 206 is connected to the electromagnet P2. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the articulated robot 11c brings the electromagnet P2 close to the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) clipped to the skin edge and energizes the electromagnet P2 to attract the iron pieces (P1a, P1b). The skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1 is wound up by the roller 206 together with the iron pieces (P1a, P1b) attracted by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet P2.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the articulated robot 11c can directly clip the skin edge near the hind leg with a clip P3. The clip P3 is connected to the roller 206 via a cable W1. The upper controller 10, for example, performs edge detection from an image captured by an image sensor to identify the position of the skin edge of the peeled skin part Z1a. Alternatively, a length measuring sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or the like is further combined, and the position of the skin edge of the peeled skin part Z1a is identified based on the distance value detected by these sensors and the captured image. Then, the identified skin edge is clipped by the clip P3 held by the articulated robot 11c. The skin part Z1a clipped by the clip P3 is wound up by the roller 206.

The winding of the skin part Z1a may be in a form other than the winding by the roller 206 of the down puller 205. For example, a form using a suction machine 208a as shown in FIG. 8 can be exemplified. By using the suction machine 208a, it is possible to adsorb the skin end of the peeled skin part Z1a present near the suction port. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the suction machine 208a is attached with an arm 208b that can move in the horizontal direction. The controller that controls the suction machine 208a, for example, extends the arm 208b in the horizontal direction to bring the suction port of the suction machine 208a closer to the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1. The suction machine 208a starts suction and adsorbs the skin end of the skin part Z1a near the suction port. After the skin end is adsorbed, the suction machine 208a with the skin end adsorbed is moved vertically downward while being pulled, as shown in FIG. 8(b). The carcass Z1 is fixed in a suspended state by a hook or the like, so the skin portion Z1a sucked by the suction machine 208a can be peeled from the carcass Z1 as the suction machine 208a moves. Even in this form, the peeled skin portion Z1a can be wound up.

When winding up the skin portion Z1a using the roller 206, the skin portion Z1a may be wound up using a clamping mechanism. By using the clamping mechanism, the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 can be clamped and wound up by the roller 206. For example, the cable W1 connected to the electromagnet P2 in Figures 5 to 7 may be inserted between the roller 206 and the clamp.

Returning to FIG. 4, in the winding process of P3, when the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is completely wound around the roller 206, the host controller 10 outputs a control command to the servo mechanism 20d, and the torque of the winding roller 206 of the down puller 205 is controlled. The servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d uses the control command output from the host controller 10 as a target value and performs servo control of the servo motor M4 so that the torque of the roller 206 winding the skin portion Z1a is constant. The roller 206 fitted to the rotating shaft of the servo motor M4 is controlled so that the skin portion Z1a of the peeled carcass Z1 is wound with a constant pulling force. The torque control by the servo motor M4 makes it possible to wind up the peeled skin portion Z1a from the carcass Z1 while preventing the meat portion Z1b from being pulled off and the skin portion Z1a from being torn.

When the wrapping of the skin portion Z1a around the roller 206 is completed, the upper controller 10 outputs a specified heating temperature in the temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees as a control command to the temperature adjustment unit 31b. The temperature adjustment unit 13b starts heating the heater H2 provided on the skinning knife 15, with the heating temperature included in the control command set as the target value. The temperature adjustment unit 13b then acquires the heating temperature of the heater H2 via a temperature sensor, and controls the heating temperature of the heater H2 so that the temperature is high enough to melt the subcutaneous fat and perform skinning. In this embodiment, the temperature is controlled to be in the range of about 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.

Next, the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11b based on the captured image of the image sensor and the position of the inflection point indicating the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1 detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13. The robot 11b performs servo control of a motor built into a joint of its own device, and moves a movable part to which a skinning knife 15 is attached to the joint position of the carcass Z1. The upper controller 10 appropriately acquires the captured image and the position of the inflection point detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 along with the movement of the movable part of the robot 11b, and outputs a control command at successive timings indicating the position to abut the skinning knife 15 in accordance with the joint position of the carcass Z1. The robot 11b moves the movable part to the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1, and attaches the skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece heated to a constant temperature, to the joint position of the carcass Z1.
The skinning knife 15 is brought into contact with the carcass Z1 at a position designated by the control command. The skin portion Z1a is separated while the heat from the skinning knife 15 brought into contact with the carcass Z1 melts the subcutaneous fat at the interface between the carcass Z1 and the meat, and the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is wound around the roller 206 with a constant torque, thereby carrying out a winding operation.

In the washing process of P4, the blade that contacted the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1, the abdominal incision blade 14 used in the previous process, and the skinning knife 15 used in the winding process are washed. For example, the upper controller 10 identifies the position of the washing tank from the image captured by the image sensor. The washing tank is filled with hot water at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 83 degrees or higher). The upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a to move the movable part and immerse the abdominal incision blade 14 in the washing tank. The robot 11a performs servo control of the motor built into the joint of the device itself, and moves the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached to the washing tank. The upper controller 10 appropriately acquires captured images along with the movement of the movable part of the robot 11a, and outputs control commands at successive timings while adjusting the movement position of the abdominal incision blade 14. Robot 11a moves the movable part based on the control command and immerses abdominal incision blade 14 in the hot water in the washing tank. Abdominal incision blade 14 is immersed in the hot water for 3 seconds or more. After washing, the movable part of robot 11a moves to the work start position for processing the next carcass Z1 to be skinned based on the control command from the upper controller 10. Similarly, robot 11b washes skinning knife 15 based on the control command from the upper controller 10, and after washing, moves to the work start position for processing the next carcass Z1 to be skinned.

In the washing process, instead of using a washing tank, hot water (e.g., 83 degrees or higher) may be sprayed onto the blade that has been brought into contact with the meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1. The upper controller 10 identifies the position of the washing area where the hot water is sprayed, for example, from an image captured by an image sensor. The washing area is provided with a cover or the like to prevent the carcass Z1 from being splashed with the sprayed hot water. When the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a to move the movable part and move the abdominal incision blade 14 to the washing area, the robot 11a performs servo control of a motor built into the joint of the device itself, and moves the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached to the washing area.

The upper controller 10 may appropriately acquire captured images along with the movement of the movable part of the robot 11a, and output control commands at successive timings while adjusting the movement position of the abdominal incision blade 14. Based on the control command, the robot 11a moves the movable part to the hot water spraying position in the washing area, exposes the abdominal incision blade 14 to the sprayed hot water, and the washing process is completed. Similarly, the skinning knife 15 of the robot 11b is washed based on the control command from the upper controller 10. After washing, the movable part of the robot 11 moves to the work start position for processing the next carcass Z1 to be skinned based on the control command from the upper controller 10. In the washing process, the blades of the robots 11a and 11b that have been in contact with the meat part Z1b of the carcass Z1 may be replaced with sterilized blades, and each of the replaced blades may be washed.

<Controller configuration>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the upper controller 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the upper controller 10 is a computer including components such as a processor 111, a main memory device 112, an auxiliary memory device 113, a communication IF 114, and an input/output IF 115, all of which are connected to one another via a connection bus 116. The main memory device 112 and the auxiliary memory device 113 are recording media that can be read by the upper controller 10. The main memory device 112 and the auxiliary memory device 113 constitute the memory of the upper controller 10. Each of the above components may be provided in multiple units, or some of the components may not be provided at all. The control system 1 is made up of servo drivers (21a to 21e), a temperature adjustment unit (3
1a, 31b), the control unit incorporating the length measuring sensor 12 and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13, the control unit incorporated in the robot 11, etc. are substantially equivalent to the hardware configuration of the upper controller 10, so their explanations are omitted.

The processor 111 is a central processing unit that controls the entire upper controller 10. The processor 111 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processing unit (MPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor 111, for example, deploys a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 113 in an executable manner in a working area of the main storage device 112, and provides a function that meets a predetermined purpose by controlling peripheral devices through the execution of the program. However, some or all of the functions provided by the processor 111 may be provided by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a system on a chip (SoC), or the like. In the same manner,
Some or all of the functions may be realized by a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a dedicated large scale integration (LSI) such as a numerical calculation processor, or other hardware circuits.

The main storage device 112 and the auxiliary storage device 113 constitute the memory of the upper level controller 10. The main storage device 112 stores the programs executed by the processor 111, the data processed by the processor, etc. The main storage device 112 may be a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like.
The auxiliary storage device 113 includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a flash memory, a USB memory, a secure digital (SD) memory card, and the like. The communication IF 114 is a communication interface with the communication network N. The communication IF 114 can adopt an appropriate configuration according to the connection method with the communication network N to be connected. The input/output IF 115 is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the input device and the output device of the upper controller 10. Predetermined information is output to a display device such as an LCD or an LED provided on the housing of the upper controller 10 through the input/output IF 115. In addition, an operation instruction is accepted through the input/output IF 115, and a process intended by the operator is performed based on the operation instruction.

<Processing flow>
Next, a process flow will be described for the pre-process and winding process of the control system 1 according to this embodiment. The pre-process is performed by a process in which the host controller 10, the robot 11a, the servo mechanisms (20a to 20c), the temperature adjustment mechanism 30a, and the length measurement sensor 12 cooperate with each other.

Figure 10 is a flow chart showing an example of the pre-processing according to this embodiment. As described in the preparation process, the carcass Z1 to be processed in this flow is suspended by a hook or the like, with the end 210a pressed against the carcass Z1 through the arm 210b of the fixing device 210. In addition, an abdominal incision blade 14 for incising the abdomen of the carcass Z1 is attached to the flange of the robot 11a. The abdominal incision blade 14 is provided with a heater H1 for melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b. The heater H1 is heated and controlled via the temperature adjustment unit 31a so that the temperature of the jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 that is in contact with the carcass Z1 is within a predetermined temperature range (40 degrees to 50 degrees).

After the start of the previous process, the positioning of the abdominal incision blade 14 with respect to the carcass Z1 to be skinned is performed (step S101). In the carcass Z1 to be skinned, the skin portion Z1a from the hind legs to the buttocks has been skinned, and the meat portion Z1b is exposed. In the skin portion Z1a on the abdominal side of the carcass Z1, a cut is present when the carcass Z1 is skinned from the hind legs to the buttocks. In the process of step S101, the horizontal position adjustment for incising the abdomen is performed with the cut as the target position, and the vertical height adjustment is performed to bring the lower side surface of the abdominal incision blade 14 (the surface on the lower part 141b side of the jig part 141 and the surface on the lower part 143b side of the jig part 143) into contact with the abdominal part skinned from the hind legs to the buttocks. After the process of step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the process of cutting open the abdomen of the carcass Z1 begins. For example, the jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 that is in contact with the carcass Z1 is heated to a predetermined temperature (40 to 50 degrees) at which the subcutaneous fat melts via the temperature control unit 31a. Then, with the skin cutting portion (142, 144) of the abdominal incision blade 14 on the lower side in the vertical direction, the lower surface of the jig portion (141, 143) is brought into contact with the area of the carcass Z1 from the hind legs to the buttocks where the skin portion Z1a has been peeled and the meat portion Z1b is exposed. While the subcutaneous fat of the carcass Z1 is melted by the heat from the jig parts (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 that is in contact with the abdomen, the angle of the skin incision parts (142, 144) against the abdomen is adjusted, and the abdominal incision blade 14 is gradually moved vertically downward. When the skin of the carcass abdomen is incised from the hind leg end to the head Z1c by the processing of step S102, the processing proceeds to step S103.

In addition, in the process of step S102, the incision of the skin part Z1a of the front leg may be performed immediately after the incision of the abdomen. By incising the skin part Z1a of the front leg, the process in the winding step can be easily performed. In the incision of the skin part Z1a of the front leg, for example, similar to step S101, the horizontal position adjustment for incising the skin part Z1a of the front leg and the vertical height adjustment for abutting the lower surface of the abdominal incision blade 14 are performed. The upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the servo mechanisms 20a and 20b based on the distance value between the image captured by the image sensor and the front leg detected by the length measurement sensor 12, and the horizontal position adjustment and the vertical height adjustment are performed. Then, the upper controller 10 outputs a control command to the robot 11a based on the distance value to the front leg detected by the length measurement sensor 12, and moves the movable part to which the abdominal incision blade 14 is attached, so that the abdominal incision blade 14 comes into contact with the cut end (toe) of the front leg.

The upper controller 10 appropriately acquires the captured image and the distance value, and outputs control commands to the robot 11a at successive timings while adjusting the angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 according to the shape of the front leg, and the skin part Z1a is incised while melting the subcutaneous fat of the front leg with the heat of the abdominal incision blade 14 abutted against the front leg. While adjusting the angle at which the skin incision part (142, 144) of the abdominal incision blade 14 is applied to the front leg, the blade 14 is gradually moved from the toe to the abdomen, and the skin part Z1a from the toe of the front leg to the already incised abdominal slit is incised. Note that the incision of the front leg may be made with a blade other than the abdominal incision blade 14, such as scissors or a rotary blade. For example, the abdominal incision blade 14 is abutted from the skin side of the front leg to melt the subcutaneous fat between the skin part Z1a and the flesh part Z1b. Then, one blade of the scissors can be inserted into the gap formed by melting the subcutaneous fat, and the skin part Z1a sandwiched between the other blade can be incised. It is also possible to use a method in which two blades are inserted simultaneously under the skin while melting the fat, and the blades open and close when they are physically caught.

In step S103, an incision process is performed in which the abdominal incision blade 14 is incised left and right along the circumference of the body of the carcass Z1 from the incised abdominal slit. Specifically, the horizontal positioning of the abdominal incision blade 14 is adjusted using the servo mechanism 20a. The vertical movement of the abdominal incision blade 14 during abdominal incision is controlled using the servo mechanism 20b. The abdominal incision blade 14 moves up and down, incising the front and simultaneously incising left and right within the reach of the blade. The blade angle of the abdominal incision blade 14 in incising left and right after the abdominal incision is controlled using the servo mechanism 20c to match the curved surface of the carcass Z1. The abdominal incision blade 14 is rotated so as to follow the surface of the carcass.

In step S103, the robot 11b may cooperate with the robot 11b to cut open the abdominal subcutaneous fat while melting it with the heat from the heated skinning knife 15, using a metal piece attached to the flange of the robot 11a as a skinning knife. The abdominal subcutaneous fat may be melted with the heat from the abdominal incision blade 14 of the robot 11a, and the seam between the skin portion Z1a and the flesh portion Z1b may be cut open with a rotary blade, Skinner knife, ultrasonic cutter, or laser cutter attached to the flange of the robot 11b. The cooperation between the robots is expected to reduce the takt time in the previous process. After the processing of step S103, this routine is temporarily terminated.

Next, the winding process will be described. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the winding process according to this embodiment. The winding process is performed by a coordinated and cooperative process involving the host controller 10, the robot 11b, the servo mechanism 20d, the temperature adjustment mechanism 30b, and the two-dimensional shape sensor 13. A skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece for melting the subcutaneous fat at the joint between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1, is attached to the flange of the robot 11b. The skinning knife 15 is provided with a heater H1 that is heated and controlled via the temperature adjustment unit 31b so that the temperature of the knife is within a predetermined temperature range (40 degrees to 50 degrees).

After the winding process starts, the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the previous process is wound around the roller 206 (step S111). In the winding process, the process described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 is performed. Note that the skin portion Z1a may be peeled from the carcass Z1 by using, for example, the suction device 208a described in Figure 8. After the process of step S111 ends, the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S112, boundary detection is performed to detect the seam between the skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b of the carcass Z1. Note that subcutaneous fat is included on the meat side. Boundary detection is performed on the seam based on, for example, the image captured by the image sensor and feature quantities related to the shape of the carcass Z1 detected by the two-dimensional sensor 13. FIG. 12 illustrates an explanatory diagram for explaining boundary detection according to this embodiment. FIG. 12(a) illustrates an image A1 captured by the image sensor. FIG. 12(b) illustrates an image A2 approaching the seam between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a.

In step S112, the upper controller 10, for example, recognizes the entire carcass Z1 from the captured image, and identifies the area B1 where the seam (boundary) B1a between the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a exists. After identifying the area B1, the movable part of the robot 11b gradually approaches the area B1, and captures an approach image (image A2) near the area B1. The upper controller 10, for example, fixes the movable part of the robot 11b near the position where the image A2 was acquired, and scans the area with a band-like laser light projected from the two-dimensional shape sensor 13. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the laser light projected from the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is band-like, so that it is irradiated to the carcass Z1 with a certain width in the X-axis or Y-axis direction as shown by A2a-A2b, A2c-A2d, A2e-A2f, and A2g-A2h (Y-axis in FIG. 12(b)).

The upper controller 10, for example, scans the irradiation position of the laser light in the direction around the body of the carcass Z1, in order from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h. Then, from the reflected light of the laser light at each irradiation position, it detects the position (horizontal X coordinate in FIG. 12, vertical Y coordinate in FIG. 12) where the feature amount in the Z direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 12) of the carcass Z1 at each irradiation position is detected. For example, the part where there is an angle change (the amount of angle change is called a feature amount) on the surface of the measurement object detected by the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 is an "inflection point" (this is called a feature point).
The points where the feature amount, i.e., the angle change, is detected are connected to form a line, and the seam between the meat and the skin is detected. The line connecting the positions where the feature amount is detected indicates the seam (boundary) between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a at the time when scanning is performed in sequence from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h. The upper controller 10 can detect the seam (boundary) between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a by scanning the irradiation position of the laser light in sequence from A2a-A2b to A2g-A2h along the circumference of the carcass Z1.

In FIG. 12, the seam detection by scanning the hanging carcass Z1 in the direction around the torso is described, but the seam can also be detected by scanning the carcass Z1 vertically from the rump to the head. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining boundary detection by vertical scanning. In FIG. 13, an image A3 captured by an image sensor is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 13, the two-dimensional shape sensor 13 makes the spread direction of the band-like laser light A3a horizontal, and makes the laser light follow the work progress of the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1. As the laser light follows, the reflected light can be received at each irradiation position where the irradiation light is scanned in the order of circle 1 to circle 3. Then, from the feature amount at each irradiation position, the protrusion (step location) between the skin part Z1a and the meat part Z1b caused by the pulling of the skin can be identified. In a similar manner to FIG. 12(b), the seam (boundary) between the flesh portion (including subcutaneous fat) Z1b and the skin portion Z1a can be detected from the shift in the scanning direction of the position where the height of each irradiation position changes.

As a form of detecting the seam (boundary) between the other meat part (including subcutaneous fat) Z1b and the skin part Z1a, for example, the seam may be detected from features such as wavelength (color), polarization (tone), and intensity (brightness) in the captured image obtained from an image sensor. A high-resolution image sensor may be attached near the flange of the robot 11b to monitor the interface state of the peeled meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a. The shape of the carcass Z1 may also be recognized from the image sensor, and the seam may be detected by 3D scanning. The seam detection method is the same as in Figures 12 and 13. When using 3D scanning, for example, it is also possible to cut a few mm inside the seam.

Returning to the flow shown in FIG. 11, in step S113, the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is wound up by the roller 206, and the heat from the skinning knife 15, which is a heated metal piece, melts the subcutaneous fat at the joint, while the process of peeling the skin portion Z1a is started. For example, servo control is performed via the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque value of the roller 206 that winds up the skin portion Z1a is constant. This torque control makes it possible to wind up the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 while preventing the meat portion Z1b from being pulled off and the skin portion Z1a from tearing.

The skinning knife 15 is heated to a predetermined temperature (40 to 50 degrees) via the temperature adjustment unit 31b to melt the subcutaneous fat at the seam. The heated skinning knife 15 is then brought into contact with, for example, the location identified by seam (boundary) detection. The heat from the skinning knife 15 brought into contact with the seam melts the subcutaneous fat on the meat part Z1b side, and the skin part Z1a and meat part Z1b are severed. In this embodiment, the skin part Z1a can be separated by bringing the skin part Z1a and meat interface into contact with a heated metal piece (such as the skinning knife 15).

In addition, when the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a are difficult to peel through the subcutaneous fat, the torque value related to the servo motor M4 driving the roller 206 is increased. In response to the increase in the torque value, the upper controller 10 identifies the hooked portion of the skin portion Z1a at the joint from the captured image during skinning, and outputs a control command to the robot 11b to cut the hooked portion. The robot 11b moves the movable part to the joint between the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1, and brings the skinning knife 15 heated to a constant temperature into contact with the hooked portion instructed by the control command. The heat of the skinning knife 15 in contact with the hooked portion melts the subcutaneous fat at the hooked portion, and the skin portion Z1a at the hooked portion is peeled off from the meat portion Z1b. After the process of step S113 is completed, this routine is temporarily terminated, and the washing process P4 shown in FIG. 4 is performed.

In the process of step S113, the seam between the skin portion Z1a and the flesh portion Z1b may be cut using a rotary blade, a Skinner knife, an ultrasonic cutter, a laser cutter, or the like. Any blade that does not damage at least the flesh portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a at the seam may be used.

As described above, the control system 1 according to this embodiment can include a robot 11a that cuts open the abdomen of the carcass Z1 in the pre-peeling process and cuts the abdomen to the left and right around the torso of the carcass Z1, a servo mechanism (20a to 20c), a temperature control mechanism 30a, and a length measurement sensor 12. In addition, the control system 1 can include a robot 11b, a servo mechanism 20d, a temperature control mechanism 30b, and a two-dimensional shape sensor 13 that wind up the skin part Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process of the peeling process and separate the meat part Z1b and the skin part Z1a of the carcass Z1. These components are connected to a host controller 10 of a computer that manages and controls the overall processing process of the peeling process, including the pre-peeling process and the winding process that are the control targets of the control system 1, so that they can communicate at appropriate times. The control system 1 according to this embodiment makes it possible to link and coordinate the processes before the peeling process and the winding process so that they can be processed simultaneously, thereby shortening the tact time for processing.

In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the robot 11a, which performs the process of cutting open the abdomen in the previous process and cutting open the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen to the left and right, is equipped with an abdominal incision blade 14. The jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 is provided with a heater H1 whose heating temperature can be controlled by the temperature adjustment unit 31a. As a result, when cutting open the abdomen of the carcass Z1 and when cutting open the body of the carcass Z1 from the abdomen to the left and right, the jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 can be heated to a temperature within the range of 40 degrees, which is the upper limit of the temperature range at which subcutaneous fat begins to melt, to 50 degrees, which is the hardening temperature of protein. According to this embodiment, the heat from the jig portion (141, 143) of the abdominal incision blade 14 melts the subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b to which the jig portion (141, 143) is abutted, and the skin portion Z1a can be incised and cut open. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent a piece of meat from being torn off from the meat portion Z1b that was connected to the skin portion Z1b through the subcutaneous fat, and to prevent partial damage to the skin portion Z1a. According to this embodiment, it is possible to proceed with the previous process without causing any damage to the peeled skin portion Z1a and meat portion Z1b.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, the robot 11a that winds up the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 in the winding process and separates the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1 is equipped with a skinning knife 15, which is a heatable metal piece. The skinning knife 15 is provided with a heater H2 whose heating temperature can be controlled by the temperature control unit 31b. As a result, when separating the meat portion Z1b and the skin portion Z1a of the carcass Z1, the temperature of the part of the skinning knife 15, which is a metal piece, that comes into contact with the meat interface can be heated within a range from 40 degrees, which is the upper limit of the temperature range in which subcutaneous fat begins to melt, to 50 degrees, which is the hardening temperature of protein. According to this embodiment, it is possible to separate the skin portion Z1a from the meat portion Z1b while melting the subcutaneous fat present between the skin portion Z1a and the meat portion Z1b by the heat from the skinning knife 15 in a heated state. According to this embodiment, even during the winding process, it is possible to proceed without damaging either the peeled skin portion Z1a or the flesh portion Z1b.

In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the servo motor M4 is servo-controlled via the servo driver 21d of the servo mechanism 20d so that the torque of the roller 206 that winds up the skin portion Z1a peeled from the carcass Z1 is constant. For this reason, the roller 206 fitted to the rotating shaft of the servo motor M4 is controlled so that the skin portion Z1a of the peeled carcass Z1 is wound up with a constant pulling force. The torque control by the servo motor M4 makes it possible to wind up the peeled skin portion Z1a while preventing the meat portion Z1b from peeling off and the skin portion Z1a from tearing.

In addition, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the location where the bark portion Z1a at the joint is caught can be identified from the captured image during peeling in accordance with the timing of the increase in the torque value of the servo motor M4 that drives the roller 206, and the location can be appropriately cut. The control system 1 according to the present embodiment automates the peeling process, making it possible to ensure productivity and profitability.

(others)
The above embodiment is merely an example, and the disclosure of the present embodiment may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

In addition, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Or, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration that realizes each function can be flexibly changed.

For example, if the size of the carcass Z1 to be processed is large, the skinning work in the winding process may be shared among multiple vertical articulated robots. For example, with regard to the work of cutting the joint when winding the skin in Figure 2, one robot may be in charge of cutting the right ventral side of the carcass Z1, and another robot may be in charge of cutting the left ventral side. In this configuration, a temperature adjustment mechanism is added to control the heating of the skinning knife attached to the robot.

<Computer-readable recording medium>
A program for causing an information processing device or other machine or device (hereinafter, computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer, etc. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, DAT, 8mm tapes, and memory cards such as flash memory. Additionally, examples of recording media that are fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs.

In the following, the components of the present invention will be described with reference to the reference numerals in the drawings in order to make it possible to compare the components of the present invention with the configurations of the embodiments.
<Invention 1>
A control system (1) for peeling a skin portion (Z1a) from a meat portion (Z1b) of a carcass (Z1), comprising:
A first subsystem (11a, 20a to 20c, 30a, 12) that performs a processing step of cutting open a skin portion (Z1a) of the abdominal region of the carcass (Z1) in a longitudinal direction, cutting open one end of the abdominal region in the longitudinal direction around the torso, and partially peeling the skin portion (Z1a) cut around the torso to a range where it can be held;
a second subsystem (20d) having a roller (206) on which the skin portion (Z1a) partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, and performing a processing step of peeling the skin portion (Z1a) from the meat portion (Z1b) of the carcass (Z1) while rotating the roller (206) and winding up the engaged skin portion (Z1a);
a third subsystem (11b, 30b, 13) having a sensor (13, image sensor) for detecting the boundary between the meat portion (Z1b) and the skin portion (Z1a) of the carcass (Z1), and performing a processing step of contacting a temperature-controlled knife (15) with the boundary between the meat portion (Z1b) and the skin portion (Z1a) detected by the sensor (13, image sensor);
A control system (1) comprising:

1 Control system 10 Upper controller 11, 11a, 11b, 11c Vertical articulated robot 12, 12a, 12b Length measurement sensor 13, 13a, 13b Two-dimensional shape sensor 14, 14a, 14b Abdominal incision blade 15 Skinning knife 20, 20a to 20e Servo mechanism 21, 21a to 21e Servo driver 30, 30a, 30b Temperature adjustment mechanism 31a, 31b Temperature adjustment unit 111 Processor 112 Main memory device 113 Auxiliary memory device 114 Communication IF
115 Input/Output IF
116 Connection bus M1~M5 Servo motor H1~H2 Heater (heating device)

Claims (6)

1. A control system for peeling a skin portion from a meat portion of a carcass, comprising:
a first subsystem for performing a processing step of incising a skin portion of the abdominal region of the carcass in a longitudinal direction, incising the skin portion around the body at one end of the longitudinal direction of the abdominal region, and partially peeling the skin portion incised around the body to a range where the skin can be retained;
a second subsystem having a roller on which the skin part partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, the second subsystem rotating the roller to wind up the engaged skin part and peeling the skin part off the meat part of the carcass;
a third subsystem having a sensor for detecting a boundary between a meat portion and a skin portion of the carcass, the third subsystem performing a processing step of contacting a temperature-controlled knife with the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion detected by the sensor;
A control system comprising: The control system of claim 1, wherein the knife is temperature-regulated within a temperature range that melts the subcutaneous fat of the carcass and enables skinning. The control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first subsystem has a temperature-adjustable jig part and an abdominal incision blade attached integrally to the upper part of the jig part, and the bottom part of the jig part, the temperature of which is adjusted to a temperature range in which the subcutaneous fat of the carcass can melt, is brought into contact with the meat part of the abdominal area of the carcass, and the skin part of the abdominal area is incised using the abdominal incision blade attached to the upper part of the jig part. the first subsystem to the third subsystem are connected via a communication network to a controller that manages a processing step of the first subsystem, a processing step of the second subsystem, and a processing step of the third subsystem;
2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first subsystem comprises a first articulated robot that drives in accordance with a control command output from the controller, and the third subsystem comprises a second articulated robot that drives in accordance with a control command output from the controller. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the first articulated robot performs the processing steps of the third subsystem according to control commands output from the controller. 1. A computer implemented control method for a control system for peeling a skin portion from a meat portion of a carcass, comprising:
A processing step of cutting open the skin of the abdominal region of the carcass in the longitudinal direction, cutting open one end of the abdominal region in the longitudinal direction around the torso, and partially peeling the skin cut around the torso to a range where it can be held;
A processing step is performed in which a roller is provided on which the skin part partially peeled to the engaging range is engaged, and the roller is rotated to wind up the engaged skin part while peeling the skin part off the meat part of the carcass;
a processing step of having a sensor for detecting a boundary between a meat portion and a skin portion of the carcass and contacting a temperature-controlled knife with the boundary between the meat portion and the skin portion detected by the sensor;
A control method comprising:

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