JP2001056299A - Inner surface inspection device of article - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive device for inspecting the inner circumferential side surface of a minute recessed part of a test article having a complicated shape mainly composed of a cylindrical shape, at a high speed on a conveyance conveyor. SOLUTION: This device is composed of an imaging mechanism 20 for imaging reflected light from the recessed part inner surface of a test article 2, an illumination mechanism 10 installed on the periphery of an optical axis of the imaging mechanism 20, and a processing mechanism 40 foe processing an image signal from the imaging mechanism 20. And, in this inspection device, the imaging mechanism 20 is composed by including an image transmission part 21 having a wide angular field of view, and the illumination mechanism 10 is composed of an optical fiber bundle arranged uniformly on concentric circles about the image transmission part 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hollow bottle-shaped article such as a vial for medicine, and a micro article such as a rubber stopper of the vial, for example, in which a partially cut-out groove is formed. The present invention relates to a surface inspection apparatus for an article having a cylindrical shape and having a minute concave portion on the bottom of the groove.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, medical vials and rubber stoppers for the bottles have been required to be inspected for their appearance because they are used for medical purposes. However, since the shape is not only cylindrical, but also has a very complicated shape, it is often carried out visually. In particular, because of the cylindrical system, the inner surface inspection or groove inspection of the entire circumference must be observed from multiple directions when manually performed, and the work load is high. An automatic inspection was also considered to reduce the load, but it was difficult to inspect the inner surface of the cylindrical shape, particularly when there is a small concave portion below the groove, while transporting the inner surface. JP 8
Japanese Patent Publication No. 152417 discloses an apparatus for inspecting the inner surface of a cylindrical container on a rotary inspection table using a relay lens.

[0003]

However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-1
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 52417, it is necessary to temporarily stop the article to be inspected relative to the imaging mechanism even though it is on the rotary inspection table, so that the apparatus becomes larger and the processing capacity decreases. Further, as another device that does not use such a device, there is a device that temporarily stops an article to be inspected on a transport path, inserts the tip of an imaging camera into a groove, and rotates the imaging camera at that position to take an image. But,
Even in this case, the apparatus is not as large as the apparatus described in the above-mentioned publication, but the processing capacity is not improved. Although there is a method of taking an image with a plurality of imaging cameras without rotating the image, the processing of the video signal becomes complicated, and the price of the apparatus rises. Further, if a minute notch is inspected with a fiberscope, the number of pixels is limited and the resolution is low, so that the inspection accuracy is low and the desired inspection standard is not satisfied.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and provides an inexpensive apparatus for inspecting the inner surface of a minute concave portion of an article to be inspected having a complicated shape mainly of a cylindrical shape at a high speed on a conveyor. It is in.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for inspecting the inner surface of a concave portion of a test object having a minute concave portion on the bottom surface of a groove portion during conveyance, wherein A transport mechanism that transports the grooves in the same direction, and an imaging mechanism that captures reflected light from the inner surface of the concave portion of the inspected article,
An illumination mechanism provided around the optical axis of the imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for processing a video signal from the imaging mechanism, the imaging mechanism includes an image transmission unit having a wide viewing angle, The illumination mechanism is composed of optical fiber bundles uniformly arranged on concentric circles centering on the image transmission unit,
The inspection apparatus is located at a position where the center line of the image transmission unit coincides with the center line of the concave portion.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an inspection apparatus (1) according to the present invention, and is a diagram showing a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of an article to be inspected (2). In FIG. 1, the article to be inspected (2) is conveyed from the back to the front of the paper. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inspection apparatus (1). In FIG. 2, the article to be inspected (2) is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the inspection apparatus (1) of the present invention comprises a transport mechanism (3) for transporting an article (2) to be inspected, and a concave inner surface (2e) of the article (2) to be inspected. )
An imaging mechanism (20) for imaging reflected light from the illuminator, an illumination mechanism (10) for illuminating the inner surface of the recess (2e), an image transmission unit (21) and an illumination mechanism (1) of the imaging mechanism (20).
Body frame (30) for housing irradiation light transmission section (11) of (0)
And a processing mechanism (40) for processing a video signal from the imaging mechanism (20). The article to be inspected (2) has, but is not limited to, a projection (2d) that forms a groove along the transport direction, and a minute recess (2e) on the bottom of the groove.

In the transport mechanism (3), as shown in FIG. 2, the article to be inspected (2) whose transport direction is random
Is the guide entrance (31) of the direction regulating guide (31).
In (a), it is rotated by compressed air jetted from a nozzle (32) installed near the guide entrance (31a). When the angle of the small concave portion (2e) of the inspected article (2) matches the angle of the direction regulating guide, the inspected article (2) is conveyed in the same direction.

The protection guide (33) is installed on the same straight line between the direction regulating guide (31) and the imaging mechanism (20), and has a width equal to the distance between the minute recesses (2e) of the inspected article (2). The width is smaller than the width of the body frame (30) of the imaging mechanism (20). The protection guide (33) protects the imaging mechanism (20) when the inspected article (2) whose direction is not properly regulated is transported.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the main body frame (30).
Shown in As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the outer diameter of the main body frame (30) is smaller than the distance between the grooves (referred to as portions formed by the convex portions (2 d)) of the article to be inspected (2). 3
The lower end of (0) is arranged in the gap between the projections (2d). Further, the center line of the image transmission unit (21) and the concave portion (2)
e) It is provided at a position where the center line coincides.

The image pickup mechanism (20) includes a main body frame (30).
The image transmission unit (21) includes an image transmission unit (21) and a two-dimensional image sensor (22) incorporated in the image transmission unit.
Has a wide-angle lens (23) having a wide-angle viewing angle at the lowermost end. The viewing angle is preferably at least 2 tan ^-1 (W / 2L) degrees, as shown in FIG. 4, from the diameter W of the concave portion and the distance L from the tip of the main body frame (30) to the article to be inspected (2). Further, a lens group (2) for transmitting an image.
4), (25) and (26). FIG. 4 shows the optical path (27) of the reflected light.

Next, the two-dimensional image sensor (22)
For example, a well-known CCD element of 512 pixels × 480 pixels is arranged. The image sensor (22) works together with its imaging lens (28) such that the inner surface of the minute concave portion (2e) of the article to be inspected (2) is within the field of view, and in the present embodiment, the lens is directed vertically downward. It is arranged as follows.

Next, the illumination mechanism (10) will be described. The illumination mechanism (10) is a lighting device in which a plurality of optical fibers for uniformly illuminating the entire inner surface of the minute concave portion (2e) of the inspected article (2) are bundled, and is provided above the inspected article (2). There are a plurality of irradiation ends (11a) of the optical fiber. Further, the light emitted from the irradiation end (11a) of the optical fiber has an angle enough to irradiate the inner surface of the minute concave portion (2e).
A halogen lamp (12) as a white light source and a main frame (3
0) and an optical fiber bundle (1) connecting the light source (12) and the connector (14).
3), and the optical fiber bundle (13) is arranged uniformly or concentrically around the image transmission unit (21) in the main body frame (30) one by one or several at a time. I have. FIG. 4 shows an optical path (15) of irradiation light.

Next, the processing mechanism (40) will be described. A processing mechanism (40) for processing and determining the captured image data; an image processing unit for extracting characteristic data of the image; a memory for storing characteristic data of non-defective products; It is composed of a judgment unit for judging good or bad.

Next, the operation of inspecting the entire circumference of the inner surface of the minute concave portion (2e) of the inspected article (2) using the inspection apparatus (1) of the present invention will be described.

First, the article to be inspected (2) is moved in a direction as shown in FIG. 2, that is, in a direction parallel to the direction of conveyance in the groove formed by the convex portion (2d).
And transported in the direction indicated by the arrow Y to the position of the inspection device (1).

Next, the detecting means of the article to be inspected (2) on the conveyor, for example, a photoelectric sensor (not shown) detects that the article to be inspected (2) has entered the area of the inspection apparatus (1), and the signal thereof is given. Is input to the processing mechanism (40). The processing mechanism (40) receives a signal from the photoelectric sensor and accumulates an image captured by the imaging mechanism (20) in an image memory. The conveyor may be operated intermittently or continuously, but it is preferable to operate continuously to improve the processing capacity.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a captured image. As shown in FIG. 5, in the two-dimensional image taken by the imaging mechanism (20), an image of the bottom surface (2f) of the concave part (2) of the article to be inspected appears from the upper surface at the center of the screen, and the article to be inspected appears around it. The image of the entire circumference of the inner surface (2e) of the concave portion (2) appears on the circumference. This is because, as described in the configuration of the above-described apparatus, the reflected light emitted from the inner surface (2e) of the concave portion of the inspection object (2) enters the wide-angle lens (23) of the imaging mechanism (20), and the incident light Are the lens groups (24), (25), (2) of the image transmission unit (21).
This is because the image is transmitted by 6) and reaches a two-dimensional image sensor (22) such as a CCD image sensor, and an image as shown in FIG. 5 is captured.

The image picked up by the image pick-up mechanism (20) is converted into data of 256 gradations by an A / D converter. Then, based on the region set in advance, only the image of the portion on the inner surface (2e) of the concave portion is extracted from all the pixels. The gradation data of the extracted image is determined by determining the magnitude of the gradation data with a preset threshold value, and the stain on the inner peripheral side surface of the concave portion (2e) of the inspected article (2) is determined. It is possible to detect a defect such as a foreign substance.

Inspection of the inner peripheral side surface of the concave portion (2e) of the article to be inspected (2) is completed by the processing mechanism (40). Is discharged. This step comprises, for example, an air nozzle and a chute. When the defective product comes to the chute position, the compressed air is discharged from the air nozzle and the defective product is guided to the chute. On the other hand, the air nozzle does not operate for the inspected article (2) for which the inspection result is normal, and proceeds to the next step on the conveyor.

[0022]

According to the apparatus of the present invention, the inner peripheral surface of the minute concave portion of the inspected article can be imaged as one image while continuously moving the inspected article. Therefore, the inspection step can be incorporated in the middle of the transport step, and the processing can be performed at high speed. Further, the inspection apparatus of the present invention can capture a required image while maintaining a non-contact state with the article to be inspected, does not require a special handling mechanism, is compact, inexpensive, and has a high speed. Can be processed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inspection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an imaging mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing optical paths of irradiation light and reflected light.

FIG. 5 is an example of a captured image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inspection apparatus 2 Inspection object 3 Transport mechanism 10 Illumination mechanism 20 Imaging mechanism 40 Processing mechanism 21 Image transmission part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device for inspecting an inner surface of a concave portion of a test object having a minute concave portion on a bottom surface of the concave portion while conveying the same, comprising: a conveying mechanism for conveying the test item in a direction of a groove portion; An imaging mechanism for imaging reflected light from the inner surface of the concave portion, an illumination mechanism provided around the optical axis of the imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for processing a video signal from the imaging mechanism, wherein the imaging mechanism is An image transmission unit having a wide viewing angle, wherein the illumination mechanism comprises an optical fiber bundle uniformly arranged on a concentric circle centered on the image transmission unit, wherein the image transmission unit center line and the center of the recess are formed. An inspection device at a position where the line coincides.