CN112014889B - Metal impurity inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology for detecting a magnetic substance in a viscous substance with high accuracy by a simple structure. A metal impurity inspection device (100) detects metal impurities contained in a viscous substance, which is a viscous substance, and is provided with: a holding device (110) for holding the viscous substance at a constant thickness; a detection device (130) for detecting metal impurities in the viscous substance; and a slide guide (120) for guiding the holding device to slide on the detection device, wherein the detection device is provided with a plurality of coil groups (131) which are provided with oscillation coils (136) and receiving coils (138) which are alternately arranged in the sliding direction of the holding device (110), the oscillation coils (136) generate alternating magnetic fields, the receiving coils output magnetic field waveforms of the alternating magnetic fields generated by the oscillation coils (136) as output data, and the plurality of coil groups (131) are respectively arranged at different positions in the direction orthogonal to the sliding direction on the sliding surface of the holding device.

Description

Metal impurity inspection device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a technique for inspecting a viscous substance such as lubricating oil. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for inspecting a bearing mainly used for a rotating part of a large machine and a lubricating oil used for lubrication of the bearing.

Background

Bearings used in rotating parts of large machines such as elevators are worn out by friction between metals in their structures, and are damaged or deteriorated with time. Therefore, regular inspection and maintenance are required. In general, a bearing portion is filled with lubricating oil for lubrication and part protection. Therefore, the deteriorated state of the bearing surface cannot be directly confirmed. Therefore, in general, the state of the bearing is indirectly confirmed by taking the lubricating oil, and measuring the color of the lubricating oil and the iron powder content contained in the lubricating oil.

As a measurement method of the iron powder content used at this time, for example, patent document 1 discloses a metal impurity measuring device as follows: "comprising: a first excitation section formed by winding a first excitation coil around a core material; a second excitation section formed by winding a second excitation coil around the core material; a detection unit formed by winding a detection coil around a core material; a first connecting portion; a second connecting portion; a high-frequency power source connected to each exciting coil in such a manner that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the first exciting coil and the direction of the magnetic field generated by the second exciting coil are opposite to each other; a notch portion for providing a sample holding portion for holding a sample containing metal impurities; and a measuring unit (abstract) for measuring the induced voltage or induced current generated in the detection coil.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2019-2752

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the metal impurity measuring device disclosed in patent document 1, a lubricating oil is held in a cylindrical sample cartridge. And, two excitation portions and one detection portion are provided so as to surround the periphery of the sample cartridge.

In this metal impurity measuring device, magnetic fluxes are generated by the two excitation portions so as to cancel each other at the detection portion. When the measured lubricating oil does not contain iron powder, no induced voltage or no induced current is generated by the magnetic flux at the detection unit. On the other hand, when the lubricating oil contains iron powder, the magnetic flux changes, and an induced voltage or an induced current is generated in the detection portion. The iron powder concentration in the lubricating oil is measured by measuring the induced voltage or the induced current.

However, in the case of the structure of the metal impurity measuring device disclosed in patent document 1, the distance between the iron powder contained in the lubricating oil and the exciting portion differs between the case where the distribution position thereof is in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the sample cartridge and the case where the distribution position thereof is in the vicinity of the center, and the difference occurs in magnetic flux density. Therefore, even if the same amount of iron powder is contained, a difference occurs in the detected change in magnetic flux according to the distribution position of the iron powder. Further, since the sample cartridge is cylindrical, three-dimensional measurement is required. Therefore, a structure for detecting magnetic flux in three axes (X, Y, Z), exciting current, and the like are required, and the device is large and expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of detecting metal impurities in a viscous substance with high accuracy with a simple configuration.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention provides a metal impurity inspection apparatus for detecting metal impurities contained in a viscous substance, which is a viscous substance, the metal impurity inspection apparatus including: a holding device for holding the viscous substance at a constant thickness; a detection device for detecting the metal impurities in the viscous substance; and a slide guide guiding the holding device to slide on the detecting device, wherein the detecting device includes a plurality of coil groups including oscillation coils and receiving coils alternately arranged in a sliding direction of the holding device, the oscillation coils generating an alternating magnetic field, the receiving coils outputting magnetic field waveforms of the alternating magnetic field generated by the oscillation coils as output data, and the plurality of coil groups are respectively arranged at different positions in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction on a sliding surface where the holding device slides.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect metal impurities in a viscous substance with high accuracy with a simple structure. Other problems, configurations and effects than those described above will be apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 (a) is an explanatory view for explaining the detection device according to the first embodiment, and (b) and (c) are explanatory views for explaining the slide guide according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining details of the detection device of the first embodiment.

In fig. 4, (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the principle of the detection device according to the first embodiment.

In fig. 5, (a) is a structural diagram of the analysis device according to the first embodiment, and (b) is a functional block diagram of the analysis device according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of using the metal impurity inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment.

In fig. 7, (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining examples of the output waveforms of the first embodiment.

In fig. 8, (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining display examples of the first embodiment, and (d) are explanatory diagrams for explaining distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil estimated from the display examples.

In fig. 9, (a) to (c) are explanatory examples for explaining display examples of the first embodiment, and (d) are explanatory diagrams for explaining distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil estimated from the display examples.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another display example of the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 (a) to (c) show examples of output waveforms for explaining the analysis processing according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 12 (a) to (b) show examples of output waveforms for explaining the analysis processing according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the arrangement of the detection device and the illumination device of the third embodiment.

Fig. 15 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus according to a modification of the third embodiment.

In fig. 16, (a) is an explanatory view of a guide rail for explaining a modification of the third embodiment, (b) is an explanatory view of a detection device, and (c) is an explanatory view of a lighting device.

Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a detecting device according to a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a detecting device according to a modification of the present invention.

In the figure:

100-metal impurity inspection apparatus, 101-metal impurity inspection apparatus, 102-metal impurity inspection apparatus, 110-holding apparatus, 111-lubricating oil, 111 f-iron powder, 112-enclosure bag, 113-clamp plate (cover plate), 114-clamp plate (carrier plate), 120-slide guide, 121-rail, 121 a-rail, 121 b-rail, 122 a-rail, 122 b-rail, 123 a-rail, 123 b-rail, 124-first guide groove, 125-second guide groove, 130-detecting apparatus, 131-coil group, 131 a-coil group, 131 b-coil group, 131 c-coil group, 132-alternating current generating portion, 133-receiving portion, 136-oscillating coil, 136 a-first oscillating coil, 136 b-second oscillating coil, 138-receiving coil, 140-analyzing apparatus, 141-information processing section, 141 a-CPU, 141 b-memory, 141 c-storage device, 142-communication section, 143-operation section, 144-display section, 151-content determination section, 152-distribution calculation section, 153-warning output section, 154-image analysis section, 160-illumination device, 161-lamp, 170-camera, 211-output waveform, 212-output waveform, 213-output waveform, 221 a-output waveform, 221 b-output waveform, 221 c-output waveform, 222 a-output waveform, 222 b-output waveform, 222 c-output waveform, 223 a-output waveform, 223 b-output waveform, 223 c-output waveform, 231-output waveform, 232-output waveform, 233-output waveform, 234-output waveform, 235-output waveform, 241-dash-dot-dash line, 243-dashed line.

Detailed Description

First embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the metal impurity inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment, a viscous substance such as lubricating oil is moved on a detection apparatus provided with a magnetic sensor, and metal impurities in the substance are detected. The substance having viscosity is enclosed, for example, in a uniform thickness. The magnetic sensor is configured such that, for example, a magnetic flux changes by movement of an enclosed substance.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a substance having viscosity (viscous substance) to be inspected is referred to as a lubricating oil, and metal impurities are referred to as iron powder.

[ Integrated Structure of inspection device ]

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, and an analysis device 140. The holding device 110 holds the lubricating oil 111 at a constant thickness. The slide guide 120 guides the holding device 110 to slide freely on the detection device 130. The detecting device 130 detects iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 held by the holding device 110. The analysis device 140 analyzes the detection signal from the detection device 130.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, a plane parallel to the upper surface of the detection device 130 is referred to as an xy plane, and a direction perpendicular thereto is referred to as a z direction. In the xy plane, the direction in which the holding device slides is referred to as the-x direction, and the direction perpendicular thereto is referred to as the y direction. Hereinafter, the x direction is referred to as the longitudinal direction, the y direction is referred to as the width direction, and the z direction is referred to as the up-down direction. The upper and lower directions in the z direction are set as defined in the figure.

[ holding device ]

The holding device 110 holds the lubricating oil 111 to be inspected in a substantially flat shape with a constant thickness. In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the present invention includes: a sealing bag 112 for sealing the lubricating oil 111; and upper and lower clamping plates 113, 114 arranged parallel to the xy plane and at a constant interval in the z direction.

The upper and lower clamping plates 113 and 114 are a mounting plate 114 on which the lubricating oil 111 is mounted and a cover plate 113 disposed on the lubricating oil 111 so as to be spaced apart from the mounting plate 114 by a constant distance. Without distinguishing the functions of the two, they are referred to as splints, respectively.

The gap between the clamp plates 113 and 114 is set to be extremely small so that the lubricating oil 111 becomes substantially planar. The lubricating oil 111 is sandwiched between the two clamping plates 113 and 114 to maintain a constant thickness.

In addition, the clamping plates 113 and 114 may be connected at one end with a belt member so as not to be separated from each other. In order to maintain the interval between the two clamping plates 113 and 114 in the z direction constant, a fixing leg or the like may be disposed between the two clamping plates 113 and 114. The fixing legs are disposed at four corners of the clamping plate 114, for example.

For the enclosure bag 112, for example, a low-cost transparent bag with a zipper can be used. This makes it possible to discard the lubricating oil 111 easily after inspection.

[ detection device ]

When the lubricating oil 111 held by the holding device 110 contains iron powder, the detection device 130 detects the iron powder. The detection result is output as output data to the analysis device 140. In the present embodiment, the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 is detected while the holding device 110 slides along the sliding guide 120.

Fig. 2 (a) shows the detection device 130 when viewed from above. The detection device 130 includes a plurality of coil groups 131a,131b, 131c arranged on a plane parallel to the xy plane and at different positions in the y direction. As shown in fig. 2 (a), each of the coil groups 131a,131b, and 131c includes a first oscillating coil 136a, a receiving coil 138, and a second oscillating coil 136b arranged in a row along the x-direction on a plane parallel to the xy-plane. In the following, the coil groups 131a,131b, 131c are represented by the coil group 131 without special distinction.

The first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b generate alternating magnetic fields that are opposite to each other on the same plane, respectively. The receiving coil 138 is disposed in the middle or near the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b, and detects the ac magnetic field generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b. In the following, the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b are represented by the oscillating coil 136 without special distinction.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of coil groups 131 are arranged so as to be able to detect the full width of the iron powder in the y-direction, which is the width direction of the holding device 110.

Here, the details of the detection device 130 of the present embodiment will be described. The detection device 130 of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the detection unit including the plurality of coil groups 131a, 131b, and 131c, an ac generation unit 132 and a reception unit 133 as shown in fig. 3. The detection portion is formed in a substantially planar shape, for example.

The ac generator 132 generates an ac current of a predetermined frequency and supplies the ac current to the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b of each coil group 131. The first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b generate alternating magnetic fields of the same intensity in opposite directions from each other by the alternating current supplied from the alternating current generating unit 132. In order to generate alternating-current magnetic fields in the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b in opposite directions, for example, the winding directions of the coils may be reversed.

The receiving coil 138 outputs a magnetic field waveform (induced voltage or induced current) generated based on the ac magnetic field generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b to the receiving unit 133. Hereinafter, the sense voltage will be described as an output.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the receiving coil 138 is disposed substantially in the middle between the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136 b. Therefore, as shown in fig. 4 (a), when a magnetic field disturbing substance is not present in the surroundings, the magnetic field (indicated by magnetic field lines B1) generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the magnetic field (indicated by magnetic field lines B2) generated by the second oscillating coil 136B cancel each other out at the position of the receiving coil 138. That is, the iron powder cannot be present in the lubricating oil 111 held in the holding device 110. In this case, no induced voltage is generated.

On the other hand, in the case where a substance that disturbs the magnetic field unevenly exists in the magnetic field, the two magnetic fields cannot be completely canceled out at the position of the receiving coil 138. For example, if the magnetic body passes through the magnetic field, the magnetic body itself is magnetized, and a magnetic field is generated. Thus, the magnetic flux density increases in combination with the magnetic field of the oscillating coil 136. Then, an induced voltage is generated in the receiving coil 138 by the magnetic field remaining without cancellation. For example, in the case where iron powder 111f is present in the lubricating oil 111 held in the holding device 110.

The receiving unit 133 detects the induced voltage generated in the receiving coil 138, performs signal processing such as amplification and AD/DC conversion, and forms output data to be output to the outside. In this embodiment, the data is sent to the analysis device 140. In the present embodiment, the receiving unit 133 outputs the induced voltages received from the receiving coils 138 in the coil groups 131 to the outside as output data of the independent channels.

[ sliding guide ]

The slide guide 120 slidably supports the holding device 110 while approaching the surface (upper surface) of the detection device 130 at a constant distance, and guides the holding device in the-x direction. As shown in fig. 2 b, the slide guide 120 includes two guide rails 121a and 121b disposed over the entire length in the x direction on both sides (both ends) in the y direction of the detection device 130. The guide rails 121a and 121b have guide grooves for guiding the holding device 110.

In this case, the thickness H1 of the lubricating oil 111 is obtained by the difference between the sum of the heights H3 and H4 of the two clamping plates 113 and 114 in the z direction and the height H of the guide groove in the z direction. The smaller the difference between H and h3+h4 is, the thinner the thickness of the lubricant 111 at the time of detection, and the closer the lubricant 111 is to the plane.

[ analytical device ]

The analysis device 140 analyzes the output data outputted from the detection device 130 and presents the presence or absence of the iron powder to the user. In the present embodiment, the output data is a temporal change in the induced voltage due to the presence of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111. The analysis device 140 presents the user with a change pattern of the induced voltage based on the presence of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111.

In order to achieve this function, the analysis device 140 of the present embodiment includes an information processing unit 141, a communication unit 142, an operation unit 143, and a display unit 144, as shown in fig. 5 (a).

The communication unit 142 is connected to the detection device 130 by wire or wirelessly, and receives output data from the detection device 130.

The information processing section 141 analyzes the output data. In the present embodiment, the CPU141a, the memory 141b, and the storage device 141c are provided, and the CPU141a executes the program stored in the storage device 141c in advance by downloading the program to the memory 141b, thereby realizing the analysis processing.

The operation unit 143 receives an operation instruction from a user. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.

The display section 144 displays the processing result of the information processing section 141. For example LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) displays, etc.

[ method of use ]

A method of using the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to fig. 6. In use, each oscillating coil 136 is caused to generate an ac magnetic field.

First, the user seals the lubricant 111 to be inspected in the seal-in bag 112. The envelope 112 is then clamped between clamping plates 113 and 114. Thereby, the lubricating oil 111 is held by the holding device 110 in a substantially flat shape with a uniform thickness.

The user inserts the holding device 110 into the guide grooves of the guide rails 121, 122 of the sliding guide 120. Then, the holding device 110 is moved in the long-side direction (-x direction) along the guide groove. Thereby, the holding device 110 maintains the height in the z direction to be constant, and slides in the-x direction on the sliding surface, which is the upper surface of the detection device 130. That is, the thickness h1 of the lubricating oil 111 is also maintained substantially constant during detection.

The holding device 110 is moved so that the entire length in the longitudinal direction (x-direction) of the clamping plate 113 passes over the receiving coil 138 of the arbitrary coil group 131. Thus, the detection device 130 can detect the iron powder enclosed in the entire lubricating oil 111 enclosed in the envelope 112 at a constant distance.

The receiving unit 133 of the detection device 130 outputs the detection result to the analysis device 140 according to the instruction of the user. For example, the detection result is output to the analyzer 140 from the time of insertion of the holder 110 until the user stops the holder 110.

[ analytical results ]

Fig. 7 a to 7 b show examples of graphs (output waveforms) displayed on the display unit 144 by the analysis device 140 based on the output data outputted from the reception unit 133. Here, examples of graphs generated based on the detection results from one coil group 131 are shown, respectively. However, as described above, the analysis device 140 generates a graph for each channel, which is the output data received from each coil group 131a, 131b, 131c, and displays the graph on the display unit 144.

In these figures, the vertical axis represents the detection value (induced voltage (V)), and the horizontal axis represents time. Since the holding device 110 is moved in the longitudinal direction (x direction) of the slide guide 120, the horizontal axis can calculate the position of the holding device 110 in the longitudinal direction (x direction) of the slide guide 120 using the moving speed if the moving speed is known.

Fig. 7 (a) shows an example of the output waveform 211 in the case where the lubricating oil 111 does not contain iron powder. As shown in the figure, when the lubricating oil 111 does not contain iron powder, no induced voltage is generated. Therefore, as described above, the magnetic field generated by the oscillating coil 136 is not disturbed.

Fig. 7 (b) shows an example of the output waveform 212 in the case where only a predetermined region in the x direction in the lubricating oil 111 contains iron powder. In this case, as shown in the present figure, the induced voltage is generated only during the period when the region of the lubricating oil 111 containing the iron powder passes over the receiving coil 138.

Fig. 7 (c) shows an example of the output waveform 213 in the case where all of the iron powder is contained in the lubricating oil 111 in the x direction. In this case, as shown in the figure, an induced voltage is generated during the passage of the lubricant 111 through the receiving coil 138.

The analysis device 140 of the present embodiment displays these output waveforms on the display unit 144. By observing this display, the user can grasp the change in the distribution of the iron powder along the moving direction (-x direction) of the slide guide 120 of the lubricating oil 111 enclosed in the bag 112.

Further, the analysis device 140 displays output waveforms obtained from the respective output data for each coil group 131 arranged in the width direction (y direction) of the detection device 130. Therefore, the user can grasp the distribution of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 in the y direction from the displayed output waveforms.

Fig. 8 (a) to 8 (c) show examples of output waveforms of the respective channels, and fig. 8 (d) shows distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 estimated from these output waveforms. Fig. 9 (a) to 9 (c) show another example of the output waveforms of the respective channels, and fig. 9 (d) shows the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 estimated from these output waveforms.

For example, as shown in fig. 8 (a) to 8 (c), output waveforms 221a, 221b, 221c based on the detection results from the coil groups 131a, 131b, 131c can be obtained. That is, the change in the induced voltage is observed only at a specific time of the output waveform 221b generated based on the output data from the coil group 131 b.

The user can grasp that, as shown in fig. 8 (d), only the center region in the y direction and only the specific region in the x direction of the lubricating oil 111 in the sealed bag 112 contain iron powder by observing such a display. This is, for example, the case where iron powder is mixed as a foreign matter at the time of filling of the lubricating oil 111.

Further, based on the detection results of the coil groups 131a, 131b, 131c, output waveforms 222a, 222b, 222c shown in fig. 9 (a) to 9 (c) can be obtained. That is, the induced voltage is changed in the entire output waveforms generated based on the output data from the coil groups 131a, 131b, and 131 c.

The user can grasp that iron powder is distributed in the entire lubricating oil 111 in the sealed bag 112 as shown in fig. 9 (d) by observing such a display. This is an example of the case where the lubricating oil 111 is filled for lubrication of the bearing portion and protection of the components, the case where the bearing is worn out due to aged deterioration, and the like.

In this way, the user can grasp the distribution state of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 by the output waveform displayed on the display section 144. That is, the user can grasp the distribution of the iron powder in the two-dimensional directions of the x-direction and the y-direction in the lubricating oil 111 by the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 10, the output waveforms 223a, 223b, and 223c generated based on the outputs from the coil groups 131a, 131b, and 131c may be displayed together. Thus, the user can grasp the entire distribution of the iron powder.

As described above, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment detects metal impurities (iron powder) contained in a viscous substance (lubricating oil 111) which is a viscous substance. The present invention also provides: a holding device 110 for holding the viscous substance (lubricating oil 111) at a constant thickness; a detection device 130 for detecting metal impurities (iron powder) in the viscous material (lubricating oil 111); and a slide guide 120 disposed above the detection device 130 and having a guide rail 121 for guiding the holding device 110 to be slidable. The detection device 130 includes a plurality of coil groups 131, the coil groups 131 including oscillation coils 136 and reception coils 138 alternately arranged in the sliding direction of the holding device 110, the oscillation coils 136 generating an ac magnetic field, the reception coils 138 outputting magnetic field waveforms of the ac magnetic field generated by the oscillation coils 136 as output data, the plurality of coil groups 131 being arranged at different positions in the width direction (y direction) orthogonal to the sliding direction of the holding device 110 on the sliding surface.

As described above, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment slides the holding device 110 that holds the lubricant 111 to a constant thickness along the sliding guide 120, and detects a time change in the induced voltage due to the presence of the iron powder in the lubricant 111, thereby detecting the iron powder in the lubricant 111. The detection device 130 includes an oscillation coil 136 that generates an ac magnetic field and a receiving coil that detects an induced voltage based on the ac magnetic field that varies according to the presence of iron powder.

The metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can detect iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 with such a simple configuration.

The oscillating coil 136 of the coil group 131 includes a first oscillating coil 136a and a second oscillating coil 136b that generate alternating magnetic fields that are opposite to each other, and the receiving coil 138 is disposed in the middle of the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136 b.

Therefore, when no iron powder is contained in the lubricant 111, the ac magnetic field generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b is canceled out in the receiving coil 138. On the other hand, if iron powder is present in the lubricating oil 111, a certain alternating magnetic field remains, and an induced voltage is generated. Accordingly, the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 can be detected with high accuracy. In addition, a large magnetic field does not need to be generated by the oscillating coil 136, and power consumption is reduced.

The metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment further includes an analysis device 140, and the analysis device 140 analyzes the output data outputted from the detection device 130 and presents the output waveform to the user as information indicating the presence or absence of metal impurities (iron powder).

That is, according to the present embodiment, in the analysis device 140, a time change in the induced voltage due to the presence of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 is outputted as output data. By the arrangement of the coil assembly 131, when the iron powder is not contained in the lubricating oil 111, the output waveform is substantially linear. On the other hand, in the case where even a small amount of iron powder is contained, the output waveform is not a straight line. Thus, the user can easily grasp whether or not the lubricating oil 111 contains iron powder by observing such an output waveform.

In the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the holding device 110 includes a mounting plate 114 on which the lubricating oil 111 is mounted, and a cover plate 113 which is disposed on the lubricating oil 111 and is held at a constant distance from the mounting plate 114. The slide guide 120 includes a guide rail 121, and the guide rail 121 guides the holding device 110 to approach the surface of the detection device 130 at a constant distance.

With such a configuration, according to the present embodiment, the lubricating oil 111 is maintained in a substantially planar shape during detection. The output data indicates the presence or absence of iron powder corresponding to the position in the sliding direction. As described above, the coil groups 131 are arranged at different positions in the width direction (y direction), and output data detected by the respective coil groups 131 can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lubricating oil 111 is spread in a planar shape and brought close to the planar detection device 130, whereby the iron powder is detected in two axes (X, Y). That is, the concentration of iron powder contained in the lubricating oil 111 can be checked by a device having a simple structure for grasping the distribution of two-dimensional iron powder in the lubricating oil 111.

Second embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the analysis device 140 analyzes the output of the detection device 130 and outputs a warning corresponding to the distribution of the iron powder.

The hardware configuration of the metal impurity inspection device 100 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted here.

As described above, the information processing unit 141 of the analysis device 140 according to the present embodiment analyzes the detection result of the detection device 130, and outputs a warning based on the analysis result. In the present embodiment, in order to realize this function, the information processing unit 141 of the analysis device 140 of the present embodiment includes a content determination unit 151, a distribution calculation unit 152, and a warning output unit 153, as shown in fig. 5 (b). The image analysis unit 154 is a function of the third embodiment described later.

Each of these functions is realized by the CPU141a downloading a program stored in advance in the storage device 141c to the memory 141b and executing the program.

The content determination unit 151 specifies the maximum value (hereinafter, simply referred to as the maximum value) of the absolute value of the detection result (induced voltage) received from the detection device 130. Then, it is determined whether or not the specified maximum value is equal to or greater than a predetermined detection threshold. Then, if the detection threshold value is equal to or higher than the detection threshold value, the distribution calculation unit 152 outputs an instruction to perform distribution analysis.

The detection threshold is a threshold set for determining whether or not the lubricating oil 111 contains iron powder. Therefore, a very small value approximately close to 0 is set. The detection threshold value is stored in advance in the storage device 141c of the information processing section 141.

The distribution calculating unit 152 calculates the distribution of the mechanical iron powder based on the instruction from the content determining unit 151. In the present embodiment, the number of times the detection threshold and the predetermined threshold are exceeded is calculated, which of the predetermined distribution characteristics corresponds to is specified based on the number of times, and the specified distribution characteristics are outputted as the analysis result.

For example, the distribution calculation unit 152 first designates a maximum value (hereinafter, simply referred to as an extremum) of the absolute value of the output data per unit time. Then, in each unit time, it is determined whether or not the extremum exceeds the detection threshold and whether or not the predetermined distribution threshold is exceeded. Then, during the full detection period, the number N1 of unit times in which the extreme value exceeds the detection threshold and the number N2 of unit times in which the extreme value exceeds the distribution threshold are counted, respectively.

The distribution threshold value is set to a value larger than the detection threshold value in order to determine the distribution pattern of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111. The distribution threshold value is preset by the user and stored in the storage device 141c.

The respective times N1, N2 and the distribution characteristics are held in the storage device 141c in advance in association with each other. For example, the distribution characteristics are determined for each of the times N1 and N2 by using preset determination thresholds T1 and T2. The distribution calculating unit 152 specifies the distribution characteristics corresponding to the calculated times N1 and N2, and thereby the distribution calculating unit 152 obtains the distribution characteristics of the iron powder in the x direction.

The distribution calculating unit 152 performs the above-described processing on the output data (each channel) from each coil group 131a, 131b, 131c, thereby obtaining the distribution characteristics of the iron powder for each predetermined range in the y-direction.

The processing of the content determination unit 151 and the distribution calculation unit 152 will be specifically described with reference to the case where the distribution characteristics of iron powder are any one of fig. 11 (a) to 12 (b). Here, the detection threshold is indicated by a dashed line 241, and the distribution threshold is indicated by a dashed line 243.

For example, when the output waveform 231 shown in fig. 11 (a) is obtained, the content determination unit 151 determines that the specified maximum value is less than the predetermined detection threshold. Therefore, no instruction is given to analyze the distribution of the output of the distribution calculation unit 152. Accordingly, the distribution calculation unit 152 does not perform distribution analysis, and does not issue an alarm output instruction to the alarm output unit 153.

On the other hand, when the output waveform 232 shown in fig. 11 (b) to 12 (b) is obtained, the content determination unit 151 determines that the specified maximum value is equal to or greater than the predetermined detection threshold. Therefore, the distribution calculation unit 152 outputs an instruction to perform distribution analysis. The distribution calculation unit 152 receives the instruction and calculates N1 and N2, respectively.

For example, the distribution calculating unit 152 calculates 3 times for N1 and 0 times for N2 for the output waveform 232 shown in fig. 11 (b). In addition, N1 is calculated 3 times and N2 is calculated twice for the output waveform 233 shown in fig. 11 (c). In addition, for the output waveform 234 shown in fig. 12 (a), N1 is calculated to be 13 times and N2 is calculated to be 0 times. The number of times N1 is calculated to be 7 times and the number of times N2 is calculated to be 0 times for the output waveform 235 shown in fig. 12 (b).

Here, three distribution characteristics, which are prepared in advance, are set. For example, the distribution characteristic D1 is set to N1 or more and is less than the judgment threshold T1, and N2 is less than the judgment threshold T2; the distribution characteristic D2 is set to be not less than 1 and not less than the judgment threshold T1, and N2 is set to be not less than the judgment threshold T2; the distribution characteristic D3 is set to N1 equal to or greater than the determination threshold T1.

When the output waveform 232 shown in fig. 11 (b) is obtained, the distribution calculation unit 152 designates the distribution characteristic D1 based on the calculation result. In addition, when the output waveform 233 shown in fig. 11 (c) is obtained, the distribution characteristic D2 is specified based on the calculation result. In addition, when the output waveform 234 shown in fig. 12 (a) is obtained and when the output waveform 235 shown in fig. 12 (b) is obtained, the distribution characteristic D3 is specified based on the calculation result. Then, the specified distribution characteristics are output to the warning output unit 153, respectively.

The warning output unit 153 outputs output information such as a warning according to a predetermined rule based on the distribution analysis result of the distribution calculation unit 152.

For example, when the analysis result of at least one channel is the distribution characteristic D1, it means that the iron powder in the region in the y direction corresponding to the channel in the lubricating oil 111 is the distribution shown in fig. 11 (a). In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning to be observed. Further, information indicating that a small amount of iron powder is contained may be output.

When the analysis result of at least one channel is the distribution characteristic D2, it means that the iron powder in the region of the lubricating oil 111 in the y direction corresponding to the channel is distributed as shown in fig. 11 (b). In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning to be observed. Further, information indicating that a large amount of iron powder is contained and that the possibility of mixing in when the lubricating oil is filled is high may be output.

When at least one channel analysis result is the distribution characteristic D3, the iron powder in the region in the y direction corresponding to the channel in the lubricating oil 111 is the distribution shown in fig. 12 (a) or 12 (b). In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning indicating that the bearing replacement should be performed, and the warning is a recheck target. Further, it is also possible to output information indicating that iron powder is distributed throughout the lubricating oil 111 and that the bearing is highly likely to wear over time.

The warning output according to the distribution characteristics is predetermined and stored in the storage device 141c or the like.

As described above, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment further includes, in the first embodiment: a distribution calculating unit 152 for calculating the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111; and a warning output unit 153 that outputs a warning corresponding to the calculated distribution.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the user can be alerted not only to the chart but also to the distribution of the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111. This makes it possible to grasp the state of the lubricating oil 111 more accurately, and to perform optimal treatment according to the state of the lubricating oil 111.

In the above embodiment, the maximum value is first determined by the content determining unit 151, but this process may not be performed. In this case, the distribution calculation unit 152 analyzes all the received output data.

For example, in the case of the output waveform 231 shown in fig. 11 (a), both N1 and N2 are calculated as 0. The distribution characteristic in this case is determined as, for example, a distribution characteristic D0. In the warning output unit 153, a process of not outputting a warning or a process of outputting a normal warning is registered in association with the distribution characteristic D0, for example. Then, when such a distribution characteristic is received, a process of obtaining correspondence is performed.

In the present embodiment, the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 is specified by the maximum value and the extremum of the output data, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the content may be calculated, and the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 may be specified based on the calculated content.

The content is calculated by integrating the output data, for example. For example, the unit content a is specified by performing detection in advance using a sample lubricating oil containing a unit amount. Then, the unit content a was calculated as several times the unit content, and this was set as the content.

At this time, the distribution calculating unit 152 calculates the content per unit time. Thus, the distribution calculating unit 152 quantitatively obtains the distribution of the iron powder in the x direction, which is the content of the iron powder in the x direction in a predetermined range. Then, the distribution calculating unit 152 calculates the content per unit time with respect to the output data from the coil groups 131a, 131b, and 131c, thereby quantitatively obtaining the distribution of the iron powder in the y direction, which is the content per predetermined range in the y direction.

The distribution may be specified by pattern matching, for example. In this case, a plurality of output waveforms are registered in advance in correspondence with the characteristic distribution of the iron powder. The distribution calculating unit 152 matches the output waveform obtained from the output data with the registered pattern, and designates the closest pattern, thereby designating the distribution characteristics of the iron powder.

Third embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 according to any one of the first and second embodiments is provided with a camera, and further obtains an image of the lubricant 111 to be inspected. Hereinafter, a case where the camera is provided in the configuration of the first embodiment will be described as an example.

Fig. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of the present embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, and an analysis device 140, as in the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. Further, a camera 170 and an illumination device 160 are provided.

The detection device 130 is the same as the first embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

The illumination device 160 irradiates the holding device 110 when the lubricant 111 held by the holding device 110 is photographed by the camera 170. Accordingly, the lighting device 160 includes a lamp 161 such as an LED lamp, for example.

The length (width) of the illumination device 160 in the y-direction is the same as the detection device 130. As shown in fig. 14, the illumination device 160 is disposed so that the position in the y-direction is the same as that of the detection device 130 and the upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the detection device 130.

As shown in fig. 14, the lamp 161 is configured to irradiate the entire surface of the holding device 110.

The camera 170 is an imaging device that images the lubricant 111 held by the holding device 110. In the present embodiment, the camera 170 is mounted on a fixed arm or the like, and is disposed above the illumination device 160 and the holding device 110, for example, as shown in fig. 13.

The slide guide 120 is slidably supported so as to approach the holding device 110 at a constant distance from the upper surface of the detection device 130 and the upper surface of the illumination device 160, which are flush with each other, and guides the holding device in the x-direction. The slide guide 120 includes two embodiment guide rails 122a and 122b disposed on both sides of the detection device 130 and the illumination device 160 in the y direction and along the entire length in the x direction. The guide rails 122a and 122b are provided with guide grooves for guiding the holding device 110. The guide grooves of the guide rails 122a and 122b are the same in structure as the first embodiment.

The holding device 110 slides in the x-direction between the detecting device 130 and the lighting device 160 by the sliding guide 120. When the holding device 110 is positioned above the lighting device 160, the lighting device 160 irradiates the holding device 110 from below.

The holding device 110 includes a pouch 112, a clamp plate (cover plate) 113, and a clamp plate (mounting plate) 114, as in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the camera 170 takes a photograph from above. Further, the illumination device 160 irradiates the light from below. Accordingly, for example, a material having transmissivity is used for the envelope 112, the cover plate 113, and the mounting plate 114. In particular, for example, an acrylic plate or the like is used as the cover plate 113 and the mounting plate 114.

Further, the image of the lubricating oil 111 taken by the camera 170 is sent to the analysis device 140. The camera 170 and the analysis device 140 are connected by wire or wirelessly.

The analysis device 140 analyzes the output data outputted from the detection device 130 and presents the output data to the user as in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, an image of the lubricating oil 111 transmitted from the camera 170 is also presented to the user. The hardware configuration of the analysis device 140 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, a description thereof is omitted here.

As in the first embodiment, the user can obtain information such as the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 from the graph generated by the detection device 130 based on the detection result, and can obtain information on the distribution of iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 by observing the image captured by the camera 170.

As described above, the metal contamination inspection apparatus 101 of the present embodiment further includes the camera 170 as an imaging device for imaging the lubricant 111 held in the holding device 110, and the illumination device 160 for irradiating light to the lubricant 111 when the lubricant 111 is imaged by the camera 170.

As a result, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the detection result by the detection device 130, an image of the lubricating oil 111 maintained in a planar shape can be obtained. Then, the state of the lubricating oil 111 can be further observed from the obtained image. Therefore, the state of the lubricating oil 111 can be grasped with higher accuracy by the plurality of outputs.

In the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, the upper surface of the detection device 130 and the upper surface of the illumination device 160 are disposed on the same plane. Thus, by sliding the holding device 110 with the surface as a sliding surface, detection by the detection device 130 and photographing by the camera 170 can be achieved by one operation.

The present embodiment has been described by taking the case where the camera 170 and the illumination device 160 are added to the configuration of the first embodiment as an example, but as described above, the camera 170 and the illumination device 160 may be added to the second embodiment.

In this case, as shown in fig. 5 (b), the analysis device 14 further includes an image analysis unit 154. The image analysis unit 154 analyzes the acquired image and outputs the result.

For example, the acquired image is binarized, and the distribution position of the iron powder is specified. Alternatively, the content may be calculated by binarizing the iron powder to calculate the area of the distribution region of the iron powder. Further, the deterioration state of the lubricating oil may be determined based on the color of the lubricating oil 111. The color set as the judgment reference is preset and held in the analyzer 140.

Modification 1 >

In the above embodiment, the illumination device 160 is disposed so that the upper surface of the detection device 130 and the upper surface of the illumination device 160 are flush with each other. However, the configuration of the lighting device 160 is not limited thereto. For example, the detection device 130 may be detachably attached to the illumination device 160 as needed.

Fig. 15 shows an overall configuration of the metal impurity inspection apparatus 102 according to this modification. As shown in the figure, the metal impurity inspection device 102 of the present embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, an analysis device 140, a camera 170, and an illumination device 160.

Basically, the same structure as the third embodiment has the same function. However, in the present embodiment, the detection device 130 is configured to be detachable. The slide guide 120 includes guide rails 123a and 123b of guide grooves disposed on both sides of the illumination device 160 in the y-direction. Hereinafter, the guide rail 123 is represented without distinction.

As shown in fig. 16 (a), the guide rail 123 has, as guide grooves, a first guide groove 124 in which the detection device 130 is inserted and held, and a second guide groove 125 in which the holding device 110 is slidably supported in the-x direction while being brought close to the surface (upper surface) of the detection device 130 at a constant distance. The first guide groove 124 is provided closer to the illumination device 160 than the second guide groove 125.

In case of detecting the distribution of the fine iron, the detecting device 130 is inserted into the first guide groove 124. Then, the holding device 110 is inserted into the second guide groove 125 and slid in the-x direction, and the iron powder in the lubricating oil 111 is detected. On the other hand, when the lubricant 111 is photographed, the detection device 130 is removed. By detaching the detection device 130, the holding device 110 inserted into the second guide groove 125 can be irradiated from the illumination device 160.

As shown in fig. 16 (b) and 16 (c), the structure of the detection device 130 and the structure of the illumination device 160 are the same as those of the third embodiment. The height in the z direction of the first guide groove 124 is set to be the minimum height at which the detection device 130 can be inserted. The height in the z direction of the second guide groove 125 is set to be the minimum height at which the holding device 110 can slide.

With this configuration, according to this modification, the device size in the x direction can be reduced.

Modification 2 >

In the third embodiment, the cover 113 as a clamp plate on the camera 170 side of the holding device 110 may be a filter that transmits only a predetermined wavelength. By using such a filter for the cover 113, the composition of the foreign matter contained in the lubricating oil 111 can be specified.

For example, the image analysis unit 154 captures a lubricating oil in a state completely free from foreign substances in advance using a filter, and holds the captured lubricating oil as a reference image. Then, the same filter is used to photograph the lubricant 111, and the component is determined from the difference in absorptivity between the obtained image and the reference image.

In addition, a plurality of filters transmitting different wavelengths may be prepared, and an image of the lubricating oil 111 may be acquired by each filter. In this case, the image analysis unit 154 calculates the ratio of the wavelength signals of the respective pixels, thereby specifying the components.

Modification 3 >

Further, a known pattern may be set on the mounting plate 114, which is a clamping plate on the illumination device 160 side of the holding device 110. In this case, the analysis device 140 calculates the content of iron powder from the detected amount of the known pattern in the image captured in this manner.

In the above embodiments and modifications, the number and the positions of the coil groups 131 provided in the detection device 130 are not limited. The holding device 110 may be disposed so that the entire width direction (y direction) of the holding device can be detected. For example, as shown in fig. 17, the coil group 131 may be disposed at a different position in the x-direction, and a gap in the y-direction may be formed. Thereby, the omission of measurement is further reduced.

In the above embodiments and modifications, the power supplies of the detection device 130 and the illumination device 160 are not shown. The power supply may be any of a built-in or externally connected battery, a power supply from an external source such as electricity purchasing, and the like.

In addition, as the detection device 130 according to each of the above embodiments and modifications, for example, a handrail inspection device built in a handrail of a passenger conveyor as shown in fig. 18 may be used. Such a handrail inspection device is the following device: a plurality of coil groups are arranged on the bottom surface in a staggered manner along the width direction, the coil groups are used for arranging a first oscillating coil, a second oscillating coil and a receiving coil positioned in the middle or nearby of the first oscillating coil and the second oscillating coil along the long side direction into a row, and when the handrail passes through the coil groups, the degradation of a steel wire rope arranged in the handrail is detected with a high SN ratio.

In this way, by applying the conventional device, a highly reliable device can be obtained at low development cost.

Further, the metal impurity inspection apparatuses 100, 101, and 102 of the above embodiments and modifications are provided with the analyzer 140, but the analyzer 140 may not be provided. In this case, for example, the detection device 130 includes CPU, ROM, RAM and a communication unit. The detection result is temporarily stored in ROM or RAM, and is output to an external device as needed. The detection result is analyzed by an external device for output.

In the above embodiments, the functions of the analysis device 140 are realized by the CPU141a executing a program, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, all or a part of the functions may be realized by hardware such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and FPGA (field-programmable gate array).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments are provided for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration that is required to be provided in all of the above-described embodiments.

In each of the drawings, the control lines and the information lines are described as being considered necessary for explanation, and are not limited to the control lines and the information lines which are all necessary for the product. In an actual product, it is also considered that substantially all the structural elements are connected to each other.

Further, the present invention can be applied to various applications and modifications other than those described without departing from the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

Claims (11)

1. A metal impurity inspection device detects metal impurities contained in a viscous substance, i.e., a viscous substance,

the metal impurity inspection apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a holding device for holding the viscous substance at a constant thickness;

a detection device for detecting the metal impurities in the viscous substance; and

a slide guide guiding the holding device to slide freely on the detecting device,

the detection device includes a plurality of coil groups including oscillation coils and receiving coils alternately arranged in a direction along which the holding device slides,

the oscillating coil generates an alternating magnetic field,

the receiving coil outputs a magnetic field waveform of the alternating-current magnetic field generated by the oscillating coil as output data,

the plurality of coils are disposed at different positions in a direction orthogonal to a sliding direction on a sliding surface where the holding device slides, respectively.

2. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 1, wherein,

In the case of the above-described coil assembly,

the oscillating coil includes a first oscillating coil and a second oscillating coil for generating alternating magnetic fields in opposite directions,

the receiving coil is disposed in the middle of the first oscillating coil and the second oscillating coil.

3. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 1, wherein,

and an analysis device for analyzing the output data outputted from the detection device and presenting information indicating the presence or absence of the metal impurity to a user.

4. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 1, wherein,

the holding device includes:

a mounting plate for mounting the viscous material; and

and a cover plate disposed on the adhesive material and kept at a constant distance from the mounting plate.

5. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 1, wherein,

the slide guide includes a guide rail having a guide groove for guiding the holding device and approaching the holding device to the surface of the detection device at a constant distance.

6. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 3, wherein,

The analysis device includes a distribution calculation unit that calculates a distribution of the metal impurity.

7. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 6, wherein,

the analysis device further includes a warning output unit that outputs a warning corresponding to the obtained distribution.

8. The metal impurity inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging device for imaging the viscous material held by the holding device; and

and an illumination device for irradiating light to the viscous material when the viscous material is photographed by the photographing device.

9. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 8, wherein,

the upper surface of the detection device and the upper surface of the illumination device are disposed on the same plane.

10. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 8, wherein,

the detection device is detachably provided on the illumination device.

11. The apparatus for inspecting metallic impurities according to claim 1, wherein,

the detection device is a handrail inspection device of a passenger conveyor.