HARDNESS MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR VEGETABLES AND FRUITS EQUIPPED WITH PRESSURE ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING HARDNESS OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hardness measuring instrument for vegetables and fruits equipped with a pressure adjusting mechanism capable of performing measurement large in dynamic range and imparting no damage to vegetables and fruits under the pressure which corresponds to the kind of vegetables and fruits, that is, the kind of soft-hard vegetables and fruits, being the definite contact pressure corresponding to the kind of vegetables and fruits, and a hardness measuring method using it.;SOLUTION: The frequency change quantity data of predetermined initial deciding pressures after a probe is brought into contact with vegetables and fruits is compared with the preliminarily stored frequency change quantity data of vegetables and fruits and, when vegetables and fruits are discriminated to be soft by this comparison, spring elastic pressure is controlled so as to be held to the initial deciding pressure. The same comparing operation is performed and, when vegetables and fruits are discriminated to be hard by this comparison, elastic pressure is controlled so as to rise to predetermined pressure higher than the initial deciding pressure to measure the hardness of vegetables and fruits.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI