The invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for inspecting products for anomalies. In particular, it relates to the visual inspection of illuminated products, such as shrimp, carried in a flow of water.
Many conveyor lines include inspection stations at which quality-control inspectors visually inspect passing products for unacceptable anomalies and remove or divert the unacceptable products. In the processing of shrimp, for instance, raw peeled and headless shrimp pass through a deveiner, which removes the veins to produce raw deveined shrimp. But occasionally some shrimp exit the deveiner with residual vein. And because the residual vein is thin and can be hidden by the shrimp body, it is often difficult for an inspector to detect.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds