JP2001213512A - Inspection container conveying mechanism for device for visually inspecting appearance - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying mechanism capable of preventing an inspected inspection container from being fallen down or damaged at a terminal end of a roller conveyor. SOLUTION: A first guide consisting of an upper first guide, a lower first guide and a base guide is mounted on a terminal end of a roller conveyor for preventing an inspection container from dropping from the roller conveyor, a transferring mechanism consisting of an upper star wheel, a lower star wheel and a base wheel is mounted at a reverse side end of the first guide for holding and transferring the inspection container reversed by the first guide, and a second guide consisting of an upper second guide and a lower second guide is mounted in the direction opposite to the first guide for reversing the transferring direction of the inspection container transferred by the transferring mechanism and preventing the inspection container from dropping from the transferring mechanism. Further a conveying screw and a guide rail for conveying the inspection container reversed by the second guide to a table, are mounted in parallel with the roller conveyor from the reversing side end of the second guide.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a visual inspection apparatus for an inspection container such as an ampule filled with a drug solution, and more particularly to a transport mechanism for the inspection container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an ampule or the like filled with a drug solution is inspected, it is checked whether or not there is an abnormality such as a scratch on the appearance of an inspection container such as the ampule or the like. Inspection is performed using an external visual inspection device to check whether or not they are present. As shown in FIG. 1, the appearance visual inspection device places an inspection container between the rollers of the roller conveyor, transports the container, transmits light from a light source installed in the roller conveyor through a gap between the rollers, Is visually inspected for the appearance of the inspection container and the state of the filling, through which light is transmitted from the direction a in the figure. The roller conveyor has a structure in which the inspection container is stably placed between the rollers and is inclined to the opposite side to the inspector so that the inspection can be easily performed.

[0003]

However, the roller conveyor in the above visual inspection apparatus has a fixed direction.
For example, in FIG. 1, the inspection container has moved from the direction b to the direction c, and the inspected inspection container has been forcibly raised from the inclined state to the horizontal state only by the guide provided at the end of the roller conveyor. For this reason, in the final inspection step, the inspection container often collapses, breaks or is damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in an apparatus for visually inspecting the appearance of an inspection container such as an ampoule, the inspected inspection container may fall down, break or be damaged at the end of the roller conveyor. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport mechanism of an inspection container that does not need to be performed.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an inspection container transport mechanism in an appearance visual inspection apparatus according to the present invention comprises an inspection container at the end portion of a roller conveyor where the inspected inspection container is inverted. A first guide including an upper first guide, a lower first guide, and a base guide is disposed to prevent the first roller from falling from the roller conveyor. In addition, in order to hold and transfer the inspection container inverted by the first guide, a transfer mechanism including an upper star wheel, a lower star wheel, and a base wheel is disposed at an inversion side end of the first guide. Further, in order to reverse the transfer direction of the test container transferred by the transfer mechanism and prevent the test container from dropping from the transfer mechanism, a second guide including an upper second guide and a lower second guide is referred to as a first guide. Arrange in the facing direction. Further, in order to transport the inspection container inverted by the second guide to the table, a transport screw and a guide rail are arranged in parallel with the roller conveyor from an inversion side end of the second guide.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inspection container transport mechanism in the appearance visual inspection device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, at the end portion of the roller conveyor 2 where the inspected inspection container 5 is inverted, the inspection container 5 drops from the roller conveyor 2 having a constant inclination angle α at the time of inversion. In order to prevent this, a first guide composed of a substantially arcuate upper first guide 9, a lower first guide 10, and a base guide 14 is provided. The upper first guide 9 holds the upper part of the test container 5, the lower first guide 10 holds the lower part of the test container 5, and the base guide 14.
Is for placing the bottom surface of the inspection container 5, and the upper first guide 9 and the lower first guide 10 are fixed to the base guide 14 by screws 13. Further, the distance between the upper first guide 9 and the lower first guide 10 can be changed by using screws 13 having different lengths according to the length of the inspection container 5 for performing the inspection. FIG. 5 is a DD enlarged view of the inspection container transport mechanism of the present invention in FIG. 3, and shows a positional relationship between the first guide and the rollers 4 of the roller conveyor 2. The roller conveyor 2 and the conveying screw 20
The inclination angle α with respect to the horizontal table on the side where the parts are arranged is not particularly limited, but is about 55 degrees in FIG.

In order to hold and transfer the inspection container 5 inverted by the first guide, a transfer mechanism including an upper star wheel 6, a lower star wheel 7, and a base wheel 8 is provided on the inversion side of the first guide. At the end. A semicircular recess is formed on the circumference of the upper star wheel 6 and the lower star wheel 7 at the same circumferential angle so that the inspection container 5 can be easily held. The base wheel 8
Since the bottom surface of the inspection container 5 is placed on the inspection container 5, the inspection container 5 has a disk shape without the above-described recessed portion. The diameter of the upper star wheel 6 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the lower star hole 7, and the diameter of the lower star wheel 7 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the base wheel 8. The transfer mechanism is disposed with a tilt angle β with the horizontal table on which the transport screw 20 and the like are disposed, and the tilt angle β and the tilt angle α of the roller conveyor 2 are β = (90 + α). ) / 2.

Further, in order to reverse the transfer direction of the test container 5 transferred by the transfer mechanism and to prevent the test container 5 from dropping from the transfer mechanism, a substantially arcuate upper second guide 15 and a lower second guide 15 are provided.
A second guide constituted by the guide 16 is disposed in a direction facing the first guide. The second guide has the same function as the first guide. The upper second guide 15 holds the upper part of the test container 5, and the lower second guide 16 holds the lower part of the test container 5. The second guide 15 and the lower first guide 16 are fixed to the chassis 1 with screws 19. Also,
The distance between the upper second guide 15 and the lower second guide 16 is
This can be changed by using screws 19 having different lengths according to the length of the inspection container 5 for performing the inspection. FIG. 4 is a CC enlarged view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG. 3, showing the second guide and the upper star wheel 6 of the transport mechanism.
And the positional relationship between the lower star wheel 7 and the base wheel 8.

Further, in order to transport the inspection container 5 inverted by the second guide to the table 26, the transport screw 20 and the guide rails 24, 25 are moved in parallel with the roller conveyor 2 from the inversion end of the second guide. Arrange. One end of the transport screw 20 is held by a bearing 23, and is rotated integrally with the shaft 22 by a transmission mechanism such as a timing belt and a timing pulley (not shown) in the pulley box 21. A transfer start side pitch of the transfer screw 20,
The pitch of the semicircular recess formed on the circumference of the upper star wheel 6 and the lower star wheel 7 in the transfer mechanism and the pitch between the rollers of the roller conveyor 2 have the same relationship, and are shown in FIG. As described above, the driving unit in the chassis 1 is operated synchronously.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
In operation of the appearance visual inspection apparatus provided with the inspection container transport mechanism of the present invention in the above, between the rollers 4 held at equal intervals by the transport chain 3 attached to the end of each roller 4 of the roller conveyor 2 By placing and transporting the uninspected inspection container 5, the inspector can perform a visual inspection of the inspection container 5 from the direction a.

The roller conveyor 2 is moving in the direction b, and the inspected inspection container 5 that has passed in front of the inspector is inverted at the end of the roller conveyor 2 in the direction c.
Since the roller conveyor 2 is inclined at a fixed angle to the opposite side to the inspector so that the inspector can easily perform the visual inspection, the inspection container 5 falls from the roller 4 with the inversion. In order to prevent the test container 5 from falling, the upper portion of the test container 5 is held by the upper first guide 9 constituting the first guide, the lower portion of the test container 5 is held by the lower first guide, and the base guide 14 holds the test container 5. Hold the bottom.

The inspection container 5 which has been turned over without falling has its upper part held by an upper star wheel 6 constituting a transfer mechanism, has its lower part held by a lower star wheel 7, and has a base. The bottom surface of the inspection container 5 is held by the wheel 8, and is conveyed to the second guide disposed in a direction facing the first guide by rotation in the d direction. The operation of the second guide is the same as that of the first guide,
And to reverse the transport direction.

As described above, the roller conveyor 2 is inclined at a fixed angle, and the inclination angle between the roller conveyor 2 and the horizontal table on which the conveying screws 20 and the like are arranged is α, and the conveying mechanism and the conveying mechanism When the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal table on which the screw 20 and the like are disposed is β, β = (9
0 + α) / 2, the test container 5 is gradually raised while being conveyed by the transfer mechanism, and the inclination angle of the test container 5 at the transfer start point by the transfer screw 20 is corrected to be substantially horizontal. . For this reason, the transport screw 20
And inspection container 5 passing between guide rails 24 and 25
Is transported stably in the e direction in the horizontal state.

The upper first part constituting the first guide
Reversing side ends of the guide 9 and the lower first guide 10 and the second
The reversing-side ends of the upper second guide 15 and the lower second guide 16 constituting the guide are formed in an elongated rod shape. In the first guide, the upper first guide rib 11 and the lower first
The second guide is referred to as an upper second guide rib 17 and a lower second guide rib 18, respectively. The reason for this is that, in the first guide, the reverse side end of the first guide does not come into contact with each star wheel of the transfer mechanism, and in the second guide, the reverse side end of the second guide does not. Conveying screw 20 and shaft 22
This is so as not to come into contact with.

[0016]

As described above, if the inspection container transport mechanism of the present invention is arranged at the end of the roller conveyor of the conventional visual inspection apparatus, the inspection container which has been inclined and has been inspected. Can be caused gradually, and the table can be stably transported to the table without falling down, breakage or damage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inspection container transport mechanism in an appearance visual inspection device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG. 2 as viewed from a direction B.

4 is an enlarged view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the inspection container transport mechanism in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chassis 2 Roller conveyor 3 Transport chain 4 Roller 5 Inspection container 6 Upper star wheel 7 Lower star wheel 8 Base wheel 9 Upper first guide 10 Lower first guide 11 Upper first guide rib 12 Lower first guide rib 13 Screw 14 Base guide 15 Upper second guide 16 Lower second guide 17 Upper second guide rib 18 Lower second guide rib 19 Screw 20 Transport screw 21 Pulley box 22 Shaft 23 Bearing 24 Guide rail 25 Guide rail 26 Table 27 Drive unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] At the end of the roller conveyor (2) where the inspected inspection container (5) is inverted, an upper portion is provided to prevent the inspection container (5) from dropping from the roller conveyor (2) during the inversion. A first guide including a first guide (9), a lower first guide (10), and a base guide (14) is provided, and the first guide holds and transports the inverted inspection container (5). For this purpose, a transfer mechanism composed of an upper star wheel (6), a lower star wheel (7) and a base wheel (8) is arranged at the end on the reverse side of the first guide, and is transferred by the transfer mechanism. The upper second guide (15) and the lower second guide (1) are used to reverse the transfer direction of the inspection container (5) and prevent the test container (5) from falling from the transfer mechanism.
The second guide configured in 6) is disposed in a direction facing the first guide, and further, a transport screw for transporting the inverted inspection container (5) to the table (26) by the second guide. (20) The inspection container transport mechanism in the visual inspection apparatus, wherein the guide rails (24, 25) are arranged in parallel with the roller conveyor (2) from the reverse side end of the second guide. 2. The diameter of the upper star wheel (6) is slightly smaller than the diameter of the lower star hole (7), the diameter of the lower star wheel (7) is slightly smaller than the diameter of the base wheel (8), and When the inclination angle of the roller conveyor (2) is α, and the inclination angle of the transfer mechanism including the upper star wheel (6), the lower star wheel (7), and the base wheel (8) is β, β = ( 90+
The inspection container transport mechanism in the visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection container transport mechanism has a relationship of α) / 2.