Hatching egg inspection apparatus

摘要

A hatching egg inspection apparatus includes a loader unit, an inspection unit for determining the viability or the like as to whether a hatching egg is an unfertilized egg or a growth-stopping egg, a rejection unit for rejecting a hatching egg determined to be an unfertilized egg or the like, and an unloader unit for sending a hatching egg toward the next step. The inspection unit is provided with a light emitting unit for emitting prescribed light toward the hatching egg, a cap attachment unit through which the light having been emitted to the hatching egg and having transmitted through the hatching egg passes, and a light receiving unit for receiving the light that has passed through the cap attachment unit. The cap attachment unit includes a cylindrical cap coming into contact with the hatching egg, and a plate to which the cap is attached.

主权项

1. A hatching egg inspection apparatus for inspecting a plurality of hatching eggs each arranged at a prescribed position, comprising:
a light emitting unit including a light emitting element arranged to correspond to said prescribed position and emitting prescribed light from said light emitting element toward each corresponding hatching egg; a cap attachment unit having: a cap which is arranged to correspond to said prescribed position, which comes into contact with said hatching egg, and which allows the light having been emitted from said light emitting element and having transmitted through the inside of or diffused in said hatching egg to pass through; and a base to which said cap is attached; a light receiving unit including a light receiving element for receiving the light that has passed through said cap attachment unit via said cap; and a holding unit for detachably holding said cap attachment unit, wherein said cap includes a first opening portion coming into contact with said hatching egg, a second opening portion spaced apart from said first opening portion, and a connecting portion interposed between said first and second opening portions, said first opening portion is formed to come into close contact with an outer surface of said hatching egg, and is formed such that the light having transmitted through the inside of said hatching egg is incident through the outer surface of said hatching egg, said connecting portion is formed such that the light incident from said first opening portion travels toward said second opening portion, and is formed to expand and contract in a direction substantially vertical to said first opening portion, and said second opening portion is formed such that the light having passed through said connecting portion exits toward said light receiving unit.