JP2008196886A - Inspection device, inspection method, manufacturing device of rolling bearing, and manufacturing method of rolling bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inspect not only existence of a lubricant but also an application position of the lubricant on a rolling bearing. <P>SOLUTION: Inspection processing of the application state of the lubricant on a retainer of the rolling bearing (bearing) is performed by using an inspection device. The bearing is irradiated with visible light, and a transmission image is imaged by a camera, and the imaged image is transferred to an image processing device. Since the retainer is projected as a transmission domain in the imaged image, and the lubricant is projected as a non-transmission domain, the retainer is distinguished easily from the lubricant by a color difference in the imaged image. In the image processing device, binarization processing is applied to the imaged image, and the non-transmission domain (black domain) in a specific domain on the retainer, namely, a domain of the lubricant, is detected. The application state of the lubricant (for example, a large, small, or proper amount of lubricant, or no lubricant) on the retainer is determined based on the detected area of the black domain (domain of the lubricant). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for detecting a lubricant application state in a rolling bearing, and a rolling bearing manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for manufacturing a rolling bearing.

A rolling bearing is used for a hard disk of a personal computer in order to rotatably support a magnetic disk.
In general, a rolling bearing includes two race rings, an outer ring and an inner ring, rollers or ball-shaped rolling elements, and a cage (retainer).
The rolling bearing is coated with a lubricant such as lubricating oil or grease (grease) in order to reduce the friction of the rolling elements.
Conventionally, techniques for inspecting the presence or absence of a lubricant in a rolling bearing in a manufacturing process have been proposed in the following patent documents.
JP 2001-165862 A

Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for imaging a bearing while irradiating illumination light such as an LED and inspecting the bearing for the presence of grease based on the captured image.
On the captured image, when grease is applied to an area displayed as a white area when no grease is applied, the applied area of the grease is displayed as a black area.
Therefore, the inspection apparatus proposed in Patent Document 1 counts the number of pixels in the white area in the captured image, and inspects the presence or absence of grease based on the comparison result between the counted number and a predetermined threshold value. Specifically, if the number of pixels in the white area is less than the predetermined threshold, it is determined as “grease”, and if the number of pixels in the white area satisfies the predetermined threshold, it is determined as “no grease”. To do.

By the way, the lubricant (lubricating oil) in the rolling bearing is not simply applied to any part. For example, if the lubricant is applied to the rolling element, that is, if the lubricant is present in the rolling element from the beginning, the lubricant may leak from the rolling bearing during operation.
In order to prevent such leakage of the lubricant, the cage is provided with a pocket for storing the lubricant. And at the time of operation | movement of a rolling bearing, it is comprised so that a lubricant may be supplied to a rolling element little by little from this pocket.
That is, it is required that an appropriate amount of the lubricant in the rolling bearing is applied to an appropriate position (such as a cage pocket).
However, the inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above is an apparatus for inspecting the presence or absence of a lubricant in a bearing, and the application position of the lubricant cannot be specified.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to inspect not only the presence or absence of a lubricant, but also the application position of the lubricant in a rolling bearing.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a lubricant in a rolling bearing comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage that separates the rolling elements. An inspection device for inspecting the application state of the roller, wherein an imaging means for imaging the rolling bearing, and a lubricant application area and a lubricant application prohibition area are extracted from the image captured by the imaging means. Extraction means; first inspection means for inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application region; and second inspection means for inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application prohibition region. The object is achieved by providing.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to the first aspect, the holder of the rolling bearing that includes the first light source that emits visible light or infrared light and is inspected by the inspection apparatus has optical transparency. The imaging means picks up a transmission image of the rolling bearing by visible light or infrared ray irradiated from the first light source, and the extracting means picks up the coating area in the holder from the image picked up by the imaging means. And extracting a first specific region representing a visible light or infrared transmission region or non-transmission region in the extracted application region, and the first inspection means includes the area of the application region and The application state of the lubricant is inspected based on a comparison result with the area of the first specific region.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the inspection device according to the first or second aspect, the inspection device for inspecting the application state of the lubricant having a fluorescent component in the rolling bearing, wherein the ultraviolet light is irradiated. The light source of 2 and the imaging means image the rolling bearing irradiated to the second light source, the extraction means extracts the application prohibited area from the image captured by the imaging means, and A second specific region in the extracted application-prohibited region is extracted, and the second inspection unit inspects the lubricant application state based on the extraction result of the second specific region. .
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to the third aspect, the second inspection unit compares the area of the second specific region extracted by the extraction unit with a predetermined threshold value. Based on the above, the application state of the lubricant is inspected.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to the first, second, third, or fourth aspect, the extracting means extracts a rolling element region as the lubricant application prohibited region. It is characterized by that.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to the third, fourth, or fifth aspect, the extraction unit includes a color area indicating a lubricant imaging area as the second specific area. It is characterized by extracting.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to any one of the second to sixth aspects of the present invention, the inspection apparatus includes a reflection plate that reflects visible light or infrared light emitted from the first light source, The image pickup means picks up a transmission image of the rolling bearing by visible light or infrared ray irradiated through the reflecting plate.
In the invention according to claim 8, the lubricant in the rolling bearing comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage for separating the rolling elements. A first step of imaging the rolling bearing, and a lubricant application region and a lubricant application prohibition region from the image captured in the first step. , A third step of inspecting the lubricant application state in the lubricant application region, and a fourth step of inspecting the lubricant application state in the lubricant application prohibited region. To achieve the object.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembling apparatus for assembling a rolling bearing including at least an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements, and a cage for separating the rolling elements, and a predetermined position of the assembled rolling bearing. A rolling bearing manufacturing apparatus comprising: a lubricant application apparatus that applies a lubricant; and an inspection apparatus that detects a lubricant application state in the rolling bearing to which the lubricant is applied, wherein the detection apparatus includes: The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 achieves the object.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the inspection apparatus according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, the lubricant application device applies the lubricant based on the inspection result in the inspection device. The position is adjusted.
In the invention according to claim 11, a fifth step of assembling a rolling bearing including at least an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements, and a cage for separating the rolling elements, and a predetermined step of the assembled rolling bearing A rolling bearing manufacturing method comprising: a sixth step of applying a lubricant to a position; and a seventh step of detecting a lubricant application state in the rolling bearing coated with the lubricant, The seventh step achieves the object by being the inspection method according to claim 8.

  According to the present invention, from the captured image, the lubricant application region and the lubricant application prohibited region are extracted, and by examining the lubricant application state in each region, not only the presence or absence of the lubricant, The application position of the lubricant in the rolling bearing can be inspected.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
(1) Outline of Embodiment Inspection Process for Lubricant Application State in Roller Bearing (Bearing) Cage (First Inspection Process), and Inspection Process for Lubricant Application State on Ball (Second Inspection Process) Is performed using a lubricant inspection device.
In the first inspection step, the bearing is irradiated with visible light, the transmitted image is captured by the camera, and the captured image is transferred to the image processing apparatus.
In the captured image, the cage is projected as a transmissive region and the lubricant is projected as a non-transmissive region, so that the cage and the lubricant can be easily distinguished based on the difference in color of the captured image.
In the image processing apparatus, after the binarization process is performed on the captured image, a non-transmission area (black area), that is, a lubricant area in a specific area on the cage is specified.
Then, based on the area of the specified black region (lubricant region), the application state of the lubricant in the cage (for example, a large amount of lubricant, a small amount, an appropriate amount, or nothing at all) is determined. Here, the application state of the lubricant in the predetermined lubricant application region is inspected.

In the second inspection process, the bearing is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the bearing irradiated with the ultraviolet light is imaged by a camera, and the captured image is transferred to the image processing apparatus.
The lubricant applied to the bearing is mixed with an additive having a fluorescent component in advance. Therefore, since the lubricant that fluoresces upon receiving ultraviolet light appears in the captured image as a white region (bright region), it is easy to distinguish the ball and the lubricant based on the difference in color of the captured image. Can be.
In the image processing apparatus, after the binarization process is performed on the captured image, a white area (bright area) in a specific area on the ball, that is, a lubricant area is specified.
Then, based on the area of the identified white region (lubricant region), the application state of the lubricant on the ball (for example, whether or not the lubricant is attached) is determined. Here, the application state of the lubricant in the predetermined lubricant application prohibited area is inspected.
Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily detect the application state (application position, application amount, etc.) of the lubricant on the bearing by the processing of the first inspection process and the second inspection process. .

(2) Details of Embodiment [First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a lubricant inspection apparatus 1 that inspects the application state of a lubricant in a bearing according to a first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lubricant inspection device 1 includes a camera 11, a lens 12, a sharp cut filter 13, a light shielding hood 14, a red light LED 15, an ultraviolet light LED 16, and a reflection / non-reflection plate 18.
A bearing 2 as a specimen (sample) to be inspected is placed on the transport pallet 17 transported by the pallet transport conveyor 19.
The conveyance pallet 17 has a structure in which at least a region where the bearing 2 is disposed is formed of a material that transmits light or transmits light.
The bearing 2 is a small rolling bearing having a diameter of about 10 to 5 mm used for a hard disk or the like, for example.
In addition, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 is provided with an image processing apparatus 30 that processes a captured image of the bearing 2 captured by the camera 11.
The image processing apparatus 30 is configured by, for example, a PC (personal computer) having input, storage, calculation, control, and output functions, and an image analysis program for inspecting the lubricant application state on the bearing 2, A determination program for determining pass / fail is stored.

The camera 11 is an optical machine that takes a picture, and the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by a digital camera that digitizes and records an image. Note that an image captured by the camera 11 is transferred to the image processing device 30.
The camera 11 has a function of taking an ultraviolet photo.
The camera 11 functions as an imaging unit.
The lens 12 is attached to the camera 11 and has a function of adjusting the focus of the camera 11.
The sharp cut filter 13 is a special transmission filter that removes only light of a specific wavelength, and functions as a noise cut filter. For example, by using an ultraviolet light cut filter, it is possible to cut (remove) ultraviolet light during visible light imaging.

The light shielding hood 14 is a cover for blocking external light reflection such as reflection of extraneous light. In the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the light shielding hood 14 is arranged to sufficiently cover the red light LED 15 and the ultraviolet light LED 16. It is installed.
The red light LED 15 is a light emitting diode that emits red light (visible light) having a wavelength of about 650 nm, and functions as a first light source that emits visible light.
The red light LED 15 is composed of a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) arranged in an annular shape, and the focus of light emitted from each LED is adjusted to the bearing 2 to be inspected.

The ultraviolet LED 16 is a light emitting diode that emits ultraviolet (UV) light, and functions as a second light source that emits ultraviolet light.
Similarly to the red light LED 15, the ultraviolet light LED 16 is composed of a plurality of LEDs arranged in an annular shape, and the focus of each LED is adjusted to the bearing 2.
In addition, the diameter of the circular ring in which the LED in the ultraviolet light LED 16 is arranged is formed larger than the diameter of the circular ring in which the LED in the red light LED 15 is arranged. The light of the red light LED 15 is irradiated in the direction of the bearing 2 through the inside (inside the circle) of the LED of the ultraviolet light LED 16 arranged in an annular shape.
Moreover, since ultraviolet light is weak light, in this embodiment, ultraviolet light LED16 is arrange | positioned in the position near the bearing 2 (workpiece | work) which is irradiation object more.

In the present embodiment, the red light LED 15 and the ultraviolet light LED 16 have different configurations in consideration of work efficiency during maintenance, but the form of the light source is not limited to this. For example, in order to reduce the size of the light source (thinner), the LED constituting the red light LED 15 and the LED constituting the ultraviolet light LED 16 may be arranged on the same plane. Also in this case, the LED of the ultraviolet light LED 16 is arranged outside and the LED of the red light LED 15 is arranged inside.
In this embodiment, the life of the light source can be extended by using an LED (light emitting diode). In addition, by using an LED as a light source, it is possible to irradiate a target light beam without emitting infrared rays, so that a sharp captured image can be obtained.

The conveyance pallet 17 is a mounting base for placing the bearing 2 as a specimen (sample) to be inspected. The side end of the transport pallet 17 is supported by two belts constituting the pallet transport conveyor 19.
The reflective / non-reflective plate 18 is a plate-like member that is disposed horizontally with the reflective region 18 a and the non-reflective region 18 b provided on the same surface.
Although not shown in the lubricant inspection device 1, the reflective / non-reflective plate 18 is driven in the horizontal direction, whereby a reflective region 18a and a non-reflective region 18b disposed on the back surface (back surface) of the bearing 2 are provided. There is provided a driving device for switching between the two.
FIG. 1 shows a state where the reflection region 18 a is disposed on the back surface of the bearing 2.

The reflection area 18a in the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 is configured by a member for reflecting the visible light irradiated by the red light LED 15 in the direction of the red light LED 15, that is, in the direction of the camera 11, for example, a flat mirror. Or a white flat plate.
The non-reflective region 18b is configured by a member that can suppress reflection in the direction of the camera 11 due to ultraviolet light irradiated by the ultraviolet LED 16, and is configured by, for example, a black flat plate.
In addition, the bearing 2 which is a specimen (sample) is disposed between the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 and the red LED 15, and the reflected light of the visible light (red light) reflected by the reflection region 18a is the bearing. 2 is irradiated.

Next, the bearing 2 which is a specimen (sample) to be inspected will be described.
FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the bearing 2, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a cross section taken along the line AA 'shown in FIG. 2A.
As shown in the figure, the bearing 2 is a rolling bearing including an outer ring 21, an inner ring 22, a ball 23, and a cage 24.
The outer ring 21 is a resin-made annular member having permeability, and a groove constituting the track of the ball 23 is formed along the circumferential direction on the inner side surface thereof.
The inner ring 22 is a metal annular member that is disposed inside the outer ring 21 and has a smaller diameter than the outer ring 21, and a groove that forms a track of the ball 23 is formed on the outer surface of the inner ring 22 along the circumferential direction. Has been.

The ball 23 is a metal spherical rolling element disposed between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22, and a part of the ball 23 is fitted in a groove forming a track formed in the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22. .
A plurality of balls 23 are disposed between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22.
The cage 24 is an annular member for arranging a plurality of balls 23 disposed between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22 so as to keep a constant interval so as not to contact each other, and transmits visible light ( It is made of a resin that has optical transparency.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the cage 24.
As shown in the figure, the cage 24 is provided with a pocket 241 into which the ball 23 is fitted, and a lubricant reservoir 242 to which a lubricant is applied.
The pockets 241 are grooves for holding the balls 23, and are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the cage 24.
The lubricant reservoir 242 is a portion to apply a lubricant such as lubricating oil or grease (grease) for reducing the friction of the balls 23, and is provided between adjacent pockets 241.

The lubricant applied to the bearing 2 is previously added with, for example, an amine-based antioxidant that emits fluorescence when receiving ultraviolet light. That is, the lubricant applied to the bearing 2 contains a fluorescent component.
The antioxidant added to the lubricant is in a stable form by using two types of antioxidants, a primary antioxidant (radical chain inhibitor) and a secondary antioxidant (peroxide decomposer). .
When radicals (free radicals) are generated by heat or light, peroxy radicals are generated by oxygen. What makes this peroxy radical a stable radical is a primary antioxidant, which corresponds to a phenol-based or amine-based oxidant. The secondary antioxidant that decomposes the peroxide generated thereafter is a sulfur-based or phosphorus-based oxidizing agent.
In the present embodiment, a lubricant to which phenol-based and amine-based antioxidants are added is applied to the bearing 2.
Phenol-based oxidizers are less colored and are used at relatively low temperatures. Amine-based oxidizing agents have a high antioxidant effect and are used at relatively high temperatures.
In the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the application state of the lubricant applied in advance to the lubricant reservoir 242 is inspected. That is, the lubricant inspection device 1 is a device that determines whether or not an appropriate amount of lubricant is applied to an appropriate position.

Next, a method for inspecting the application state of the lubricant applied to the bearing 2 by the lubricant inspection device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
In the lubricant inspection device 1, a step of inspecting the application state of the lubricant in the cage 24 (hereinafter referred to as a first inspection step) and a step of inspecting the application state of the lubricant in the ball 23 (hereinafter referred to as the second inspection step). Are inspected using different methods.
First, the first inspection process for inspecting the application state of the lubricant in the cage 24 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for inspecting the application state of the lubricant in the cage 24.

First, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 moves the transport pallet 17 on which the bearing 2 that is a specimen (sample) to be inspected is mounted to an imageable area by the camera 11, and then fixes the bearing 2 (step). 11).
Next, the lubricant inspection device 1 sets the reflection region 18a of the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 on the back surface of the bearing 2 as shown in FIG. 1 (step 12). The surface of the bearing 2 that faces the camera 11 is the front of the bearing 2. The reflection area 18a and the non-reflection area 18b can be set / reset by controlling the driving device of the reflection / non-reflection plate 18.
The lubricant inspection device 1 turns on the red light LED 15 and irradiates the bearing 2 with red light (visible light) (step 13).

Of the red light (visible light) emitted from the red light LED 15, the light transmitted through the bearing 2 is incident on the reflection region 18 a of the reflection / non-reflection plate 18. The incident visible light is reflected by the reflection region 18a, and is irradiated on the bearing 2 again from the back surface.
Of the reflected light irradiated to the bearing 2, the light transmitted through the bearing 2 enters the camera 11 through the lens 12.
Subsequently, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 captures (captures) a transmission image of reflected light from the reflection area 18 a of the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 of the red light (visible light) irradiated from the red light LED 15 in the camera 11. (Step 14).
Here, the shutter speed (speed) in the camera 11 is set to 1/200 second and imaged (photographed).

An image (captured image) of the bearing 2 captured by the camera 11 is transferred to the image processing device 30.
The image processing apparatus 30 inspects the application state of the lubricant applied to the cage 24 by performing a comparison process with a preset reference image.
The reference screen is set (registered) based on an image of the bearing 2 on which no lubricant is applied.
The image processing device 30 detects the position of the ball 23 in the captured image in order to correct the position of the captured image of the bearing 2 transferred from the camera 11 (step 15).
Since the ball 23 is made of a metal member that does not have transparency, most of the ball 23 appears black in the captured image obtained by copying the visible light transmission image.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image when visible light is irradiated.
As shown in FIG. 4, the portion where the visible light emitted from the red LED 15 is regularly reflected, that is, the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 is projected white.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position of the ball 23 is specified (extracted) by detecting the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 that regularly reflects visible light, that is, the white region located at the center of the black region in the captured image. .
Then, the image processing apparatus 30 calculates a deviation angle between the captured image and the reference image based on the detected (identified) position information of the ball 23, and corrects the position of the captured image based on the calculated value. .
Thus, in the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the position of the ball 23 in the captured image can be detected using the normalized correlation method using the ball 23 as a model.
Since the bearing 2 is in a state where the other race ring can always rotate even if one of the race rings (the outer ring 21 or the inner ring 22) is fixed, the position of the ball 23 always changes, and the cage 24 in the captured image changes. The position of the lubricant reservoir 242 also changes for each inspection sample.
Therefore, for each sample, the position of the ball 23 is detected and the deviation from the reference image is corrected.

Returning to the description of FIG. 3, the image processing apparatus 30 identifies an inspection area from the captured image that has been subjected to the correction process, and extracts the identified area (step 16). The inspection area extracted here functions as a lubricant application area.
In the present embodiment, the region of the lubricant reservoir 242 of the retainer 24 is set in advance in the reference image as the inspection region.
The image processing apparatus 30 specifies (examines) the reference image, specifies the inspection region, and extracts the specified region.
Note that the setting (registration) of the inspection area on the reference screen is performed based on the image of the bearing 2 to which no lubricant is applied.
Further, the above-described position correction of the captured image may be performed at the stage of specifying the inspection area. In that case, vertical / horizontal / rotational correction is performed on the inspection region defined (set) in the reference image based on the amount of deviation calculated using the normalized correlation method modeled on the ball 23.

Here, an arbitrary area can be set as the inspection area. For example, the range of the radius r from the center of the lubricant reservoir 242 in the cage 24 may be set as the inspection region.
However, when this radius r region extends outside the cage 24, the area of the region (outer ring 21, inner ring 22, ball 23, gap) other than the cage 24 included in this region is previously determined based on the reference image. Calculate it. When the lubricant application state (application amount) is finally determined (calculated), the region that is not the cage 24 is excluded from the determination target region. Thereby, the inspection process of the application state of the lubricant in the appropriate cage 24 can be performed.

Subsequently, the image processing apparatus 30 executes an image binarization process on the specified region or a region including the specified region (step 17).
In the binarization processing, a specific threshold value is set for the luminance (brightness) of each pixel of the captured image, and when it is brighter than this threshold value, it is white. Perform the conversion process.
Here, a threshold value serving as a reference for the binarization process is set in advance based on the luminance of the color indicating the lubricant region, and at least the lubricant and the portion of the ball 23 having lower permeability than the cage 24 are included. It is now converted to black.

Next, a specific example of the binarization process performed in the image processing apparatus 30 will be described.
Here, a case where a small amount of lubricant 243 is applied as shown in FIG. 5A and a case where an appropriate amount of lubricant 243 is applied as shown in FIG. 6A will be described.
FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image when a small amount of the lubricant 243 is applied.
FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image when an appropriate amount of lubricant 243 is applied.
As shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B, the application region of the lubricant 243 is lower in brightness than the region of the cage 24, that is, darker.
Then, by performing binarization processing based on a specific threshold value on the captured image, the captured image shown in FIG. 5B is changed to the binarized image shown in FIG. The captured image shown in FIG. 6B is converted into a binarized image shown in FIG.

Returning to the description of FIG. 3, the image processing apparatus 30 extracts a black region, that is, a region to which the lubricant 243 is applied, from the inspection region of the specified holder 24 in the binarized image (step 18). ). Note that this black region functions as a first specific region.
For example, a black region is extracted from a binarized image as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6C, and the area is calculated.
Then, the image processing apparatus 30 compares the area value of the extracted black region (lubricant region) with the area value of the specified inspection region (step 19).
The specified inspection area is indicated by a broken line portion in FIGS. 5 (c) and 6 (c).

Then, the image processing apparatus 30 calculates the ratio of the black area (lubricant area) to the specified inspection area (broken line area), and compares the calculated result with a preset appropriate reference range. .
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6C, the image processing device 30 determines that the lubricant application state in the cage 24 is good when the calculated result is within the appropriate reference range. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the calculated result is out of the proper reference range, it is determined that the application state of the lubricant 243 in the cage 24 is defective.
When the calculated result is larger than the upper limit of the appropriate reference range, the image processing apparatus 30 determines that the lubricant 243 is applied in excess (excess) in the cage 24, and the calculated result is appropriate. When it is smaller than the lower limit of the reference range, it is determined that the application state of the lubricant 243 in the cage 24 is too small.
In addition, the process of step 17-19 mentioned above in a test | inspection apparatus functions as a 1st test | inspection means which test | inspects the application state of the lubricant in the application area | region of a lubricant.

After the processing in the image processing device 30 is completed, the lubricant inspection device 1 resets the reflection / non-reflection plate 18, that is, moves it to a predetermined standby position (step 20).
Then, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 turns off the red light LED 15 (step 21), moves the conveyance pallet 17 and moves the bearing 2 as the specimen (sample) to the next process (step 22), and ends the process. To do.
However, when the process of the second inspection process for inspecting the application state of the lubricant is subsequently performed in the lubricant inspection apparatus 1, the transport (movement) process of the specimen is not performed. That is, in this case, the process of step 22 is skipped and the inspection process in the second inspection process is started.

Next, a second inspection process for inspecting the application state of the lubricant 243 on the ball 23 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for inspecting the application state of the lubricant 243 on the ball 23.
First, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 moves the transport pallet 17 on which the bearing 2 that is a specimen (sample) to be inspected is mounted to an imageable area by the camera 11, and then fixes the bearing 2 (step). 31).
However, when the second inspection process is subsequently executed after the first inspection process for inspecting the application state, the specimen is already present in the imageable region, and thus the process of step 31 is omitted.
Subsequently, the lubricant inspection device 1 sets the non-reflective region 18b of the reflective / non-reflective plate 18 on the back surface of the bearing 2 (step 32).
Next, the lubricant inspection device 1 turns on the ultraviolet LED 16 and irradiates the bearing 2 with ultraviolet light (step 33).

Subsequently, the lubricant inspection device 1 images (photographs) the bearing 2 irradiated with the ultraviolet LED 16 in the camera 11 (step 34).
Here, the shutter speed (speed) in the camera 11 is set to 1/100 second and imaging (photographing) is performed.
Since the lubricant contains a fluorescent component, it emits fluorescence upon receiving ultraviolet light. Therefore, the application part of the lubricant 243 is projected white in the captured image.
The imaging process here is performed (installed) using the sharp cut filter 13 and the light shielding hood 14.
Here, the sharp cut filter 13 is used to reduce (suppress) the influence of regular reflection of ultraviolet light.

An image (captured image) of the bearing 2 captured by the camera 11 is transferred to the image processing device 30.
The image processing apparatus 30 inspects the application state of the lubricant 243 applied to the balls 23 by performing a comparison process with a preset reference image.
The reference screen is set (registered) based on an image of the bearing 2 on which no lubricant is applied.
The image processing apparatus 30 detects (extracts) the position of the ball 23 in the captured image in order to correct the position of the captured image of the bearing 2 transferred from the camera 11 (step 35).
Since the ball 23 is made of a metal member, it does not fluoresce even when it receives ultraviolet light, so that most of the ball 23 is projected black.
However, the portion where the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet LED 16 is specularly reflected, that is, the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 is characteristically projected white as in the case where the visible light is irradiated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position of the ball 23 is specified by detecting the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 where the ultraviolet light is regularly reflected, that is, the white region (characteristic region) located at the center of the black region in the captured image. (Extract.
Thus, in the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the position of the ball 23 in the captured image can be detected using the normalized correlation method using the ball 23 as a model.
Then, the image processing device 30 calculates a deviation angle between the captured image and the reference image based on the detected position information of the ball 23, and corrects the position of the captured image based on the calculated value.
In addition, after performing the inspection process of the application state of the lubricant 243 in the cage 24 using the visible light described above, the inspection process of the application state of the lubricant 243 on the ball 23 using the ultraviolet light is subsequently performed, that is, When the processing using visible light is performed and the bearing 2 is in the same state (same position), the positional information of the ball 23 is corrected by using the positional information of the ball 23 detected during the processing using visible light. May be performed.

Next, the image processing apparatus 30 specifies the inspection area from the captured image that has been subjected to the correction process, and extracts the specified area (step 36). The inspection area extracted here functions as a lubricant application prohibited area.
Here, the area of the ball 23 is set in advance in the reference image as the inspection area.
In addition, it is preferable to remove the center portion of the surface of the ball 23 that appears white by regular reflection of the irradiation light from the inspection area in advance.
The image processing apparatus 30 specifies (examines) the reference image, specifies the inspection region, and extracts the specified region.
Note that the setting (registration) of the inspection area on the reference screen is performed based on the image of the bearing 2 to which no lubricant is applied.

Here, an arbitrary area can be set as the inspection area. For example, a range from the center of the ball 23 to the radius R of the ball 23 may be set as the inspection area.
However, when the inspection area is set based on the radius R of the ball 23, the image area of the outer ring 21, the inner ring 22, and the cage 24 is included in the area of the radius R.
Therefore, the area of the region that is not the image region of the ball 23 included in the region of the radius R is calculated based on the reference image in advance, and finally when determining (calculating) the lubricant application state (application amount), An area that is not an image area of the ball 23 is excluded from the determination target area.
Thereby, the detailed inspection process of the lubricant application state on the ball 23 can be performed.

Further, the above-described position correction of the captured image may be performed at the stage of specifying the inspection area. In that case, vertical / horizontal / rotational correction is performed on the inspection region defined (set) in the reference image based on the amount of deviation calculated using the normalized correlation method modeled on the ball 23.
Subsequently, the image processing apparatus 30 executes an image binarization process on the specified region or a region including the specified region (step 37).
In the binarization processing, a specific threshold value is set for the luminance (brightness) of each pixel of the captured image, and when it is brighter than this threshold value, it is white. Perform the conversion process.
Here, a threshold value serving as a reference for the binarization process is set in advance based on the luminance of the color indicating the lubricant region, and at least the parts of the lubricant 243 and the cage 24 are converted to white. ing.

Here, a specific example of the binarization process performed in the image processing apparatus 30 will be described.
Here, as shown in FIG. 8A, a case where the lubricant 243 is applied on the ball 23 will be described.
FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image.
As shown in FIG. 8B, the area where the lubricant 243 is applied has a higher luminance than the area of the ball 23, that is, is brighter.
Then, by performing binarization processing based on a specific threshold value on the captured image, the captured image shown in FIG. 8B is converted into a binarized image shown in FIG. The

Next, the image processing apparatus 30 extracts a white region, that is, a region to which the lubricant 243 is applied, from the inspection region of the specified ball 23 in the binarized image (step 38).
For example, a white region is extracted from a binarized image as shown in FIG. 8C, and the area is calculated. Note that this white area functions as a second specific area.
Then, the image processing device 30 compares the area value of the extracted white region (lubricant region) with the area value of the specified inspection region (step 39).
The specified inspection area is indicated by a broken line in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8C, when the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 that appears white due to the regular reflection of the irradiated light is included in the inspection region, the area value of the extracted white region becomes white. The area of the center portion of the surface of the ball 23 to be projected is subjected to a subtraction process, and the area value of the subtracted white area is compared with the area value of the specified inspection area. That is, a white region having a high possibility of indicating the lubricant application region is extracted and the comparison process is performed.

Then, the image processing apparatus 30 calculates the ratio of the white area (lubricant area) to the specified inspection area (broken line area), and compares the calculated result with a preset appropriate reference range. .
When the calculated result is within the proper reference range, the image processing apparatus 30 determines that the lubricant 243 is applied well on the ball 23, while the calculated result is outside the proper reference range. In some cases, it is determined that the application state of the lubricant 243 on the ball 23 is defective.
Since it is difficult for the image processing apparatus 30 to discriminate between the cage 24 and the lubricant 243, when the calculated result is larger than the upper limit of the appropriate reference range, the application state of the lubricant 243 on the ball 23 is excessive ( Judgment is excessive).

When it is determined only whether or not the lubricant 243 is attached (contacted) to the ball 23, the white region (lubricant) is not subjected to the comparison process with the specified inspection region (broken line region). It is determined only whether or not (region) is detected.
The processing in steps 37 to 39 described above in the inspection apparatus functions as a second inspection unit that inspects the application state of the lubricant in the lubricant application prohibited region.
After the processing in the image processing device 30 is completed, the lubricant inspection device 1 resets the reflection / non-reflection plate 18, that is, moves it to a predetermined standby position (step 40).
Then, the lubricant inspection device 1 turns off the ultraviolet LED 16 (step 41), moves the conveyance pallet 17 and moves the bearing 2 as the specimen (sample) to the next process (step 42), and ends the process. To do.

In the lubricant inspection apparatus 1, the application state of the lubricant on the bearing 2 can be appropriately inspected by performing the first inspection step and the second inspection step described above.
In the present embodiment, in the bearing 2 in which the lubricant is applied to the lubricant reservoir 242 between the adjacent balls 23, the lubricant application state in the cage 24 (lubricant reservoir 242) in the first inspection step ( For example, it is possible to detect (inspect) a large amount, a small amount, an appropriate amount, or none at all, and to detect (inspect) whether or not the lubricant contacts the ball 23 in the second inspection step.
Also, in the bearing 2 in which the lubricant is applied to the ball 23, the protruding state of the lubricant from the ball 23 is detected (inspected) in the first inspection process, and the lubrication in the ball 23 is performed in the second inspection process. The application state of the agent can be detected (inspected).

According to the present embodiment, by capturing a visible light transmission image, the retainer 24 and the lubricant 243 can be easily distinguished based on the difference in color of the captured image. The application state of the lubricant 243 can be easily inspected.
According to the present embodiment, a visible light transmission image is captured using the reflection / non-reflection plate 18, so that the visible light irradiated from the red LED 15 is regularly reflected, that is, on the surface of the ball 23. A state in which the central portion is reflected in white can be captured together with the transmission image of the bearing 2.
Then, by using the feature portion of the center portion of the surface of the ball 23 that appears white in such a captured image, the position detection of the ball 23, that is, the position correction of the captured image can be easily performed.
Further, by using the reflection / non-reflection plate 18, the imaging process in the first inspection process and the second inspection process can be performed without moving the camera 11 and the light source (red light LED 15, ultraviolet light LED 16). it can.

In the present embodiment, the camera 11 is configured to capture a transmission image of red light (visible light) reflected from the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 of the red light (visible light) emitted from the red light LED 15. The method is not limited to this.
For example, without using the reflection / non-reflection plate 18, a transmission image of visible light irradiated from the front surface (front side) of the bearing 2 by the red light LED 15 is taken by arranging the camera 11 on the rear surface (back side) of the bearing 2. You may make it do.
However, when the image is taken without using the reflection / non-reflection plate 18 in this way, the central portion of the surface of the ball 23 is not projected white on the image pickup screen. That is, no image is captured as shown in FIG.

For this reason, in the position correction process between the captured image and the reference image, the method for detecting the white region of the center portion of the surface of the ball 23 on which the visible light is regularly reflected cannot be used. Thus, a deviation amount (correction amount) between the captured image and the reference image is calculated.
For example, differential processing is performed on the captured image (grayscale image) to create an edge pattern of the captured image. Then, by comparing the edge pattern of the captured image with the edge pattern (model pattern) of the reference image, a deviation angle (deviation amount) between the captured image and the reference image is calculated.

According to the present embodiment, by analyzing the captured image in the image processing device 30, a plurality of inspection target parts in the bearing 2 can be inspected at the same time, so that the work time is reduced, that is, the work efficiency is improved. be able to.
Further, by specifying the inspection area in detail, it is possible to inspect the more detailed application state of the lubricant. For example, the inspection of the application amount and the application position of the lubricant is executed for each injection location.
According to the present embodiment, the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 can be operated on the production line by associating the control (movement) of the transport pallet 17 that transports the bearing 2 with the control operation of the production line.
By using the LED as the light source, there is no need to adjust the light amount due to deterioration over time or replace the light bulb, and maintenance for the light amount is not necessary. Furthermore, each parameter (for example, reference image data, threshold value, etc.) in the image processing apparatus 30 and the amount of illumination light from the light source are converted into data, which can be easily stored and restored. 30 and the maintenance property in the failure of illumination etc. can be improved.
Support for products with different lubricant application methods (methods) can be achieved by simply changing each parameter (for example, reference image data, threshold value, etc.) in the image processing apparatus 30 and the amount of illumination of the light source.

In the present embodiment, the red light LED 15 is used to emit visible light, but the visible light is not limited to red light. For example, blue light may be emitted using a blue light LED.
Moreover, you may irradiate the bearing 2 with infrared rays using the light source of infrared rays (infrared light) instead of irradiating visible light using red light LED15. However, in the case of irradiating infrared rays, the camera 11 is constituted by an infrared camera, and an infrared transmission image is taken as an infrared photograph in the process of step 14 in the above-described first inspection step (flowchart in FIG. 3). Then, the subsequent image processing is performed based on the infrared photograph.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, a bearing 2 manufacturing line using the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment described above in the inspection process, that is, a bearing manufacturing apparatus will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bearing manufacturing line according to the second embodiment.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the location which overlaps description of 1st Embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.
As shown in FIG. 9, the bearing production line includes an inner ring supply device 41, an outer ring supply device 42, a ball supply device 43, a ball distribution device 44, a cage assembly device 45, a lubricant application device 46, and a lubricant inspection device. 1. A defective lubricant discharge device 47, a torque inspection device 48, an acoustic inspection device 49, a defective discharge device 50, a non-defective product collection device 51, a display device 52, and a control device 60 are provided.

The bearing 2 manufactured in the bearing manufacturing line is mounted on the transport pallet 17. The conveyance pallet 17 is conveyed by the pallet conveyance conveyor 19 to the arrangement place of each apparatus.
One bearing 2 is mounted on one transport pallet 17. Each transport pallet 17 is assigned a pallet number 70 for identifying the bearing 2. The pallet number 70 is printed on a sticker in an optically readable state, and this sticker is affixed to a predetermined part of each transport pallet 17.
Also, the pallet number 70 is assigned to each of the lubricant application device 46, the lubricant inspection device 1, the lubricant failure discharge device 47, the torque inspection device 48, the acoustic inspection device 49, the failure discharge device 50, and the non-defective product collection device 51. An optical reading device is provided.

Here, the apparatus provided in the bearing production line will be described.
The inner ring supply device 41, the outer ring supply device 42, and the ball supply device 43 are devices that supply the inner ring 22 (see FIG. 2), the outer ring 21, and the balls 23, which are constituent members of the bearing 2, onto the transport pallet 17.
In the present embodiment, an eccentric assembly method is used when the bearing 2 is assembled. In this eccentric assembly method, the outer ring 21 is eccentrically placed on the outer side of the inner ring 22, the balls 23 are sequentially placed from the outside into the raceway groove, and then the inner ring 22 is moved from the eccentric position to the concentric position. It is a method of incorporation.
The ball distribution device 44 is a device that arranges (arranges) the balls 23 supplied between the inner ring 22 and the outer ring 21 at equal intervals. In the ball distribution device 44, for example, a positioning jig in which comb teeth are set at a position corresponding to the interval between the balls 23 is used.
The cage assembly device 45 is a device that incorporates the cage 24 between the inner ring 22 and the outer ring 21.

The lubricant application device 46 is a device that applies a lubricant to the lubricant reservoir 242 of the cage 24. The lubricant application device 46 is provided with a plurality of nozzles for applying the lubricant, and is configured so that the lubricant can be applied to the lubricant reservoir 242 simultaneously.
The lubricant application device 46 controls the amount of lubricant to be applied by adjusting the nozzle opening time, that is, the application time and the injection pressure (pressing force).
The plurality of nozzles for applying the lubricant are arrayed and fixed along the circumferential direction corresponding to the site where the lubricant reservoir 242 is formed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, position correction control can be performed with respect to a shift in the rotation direction of the application position and a shift in the center position.
Note that the position of the nozzle when applying the lubricant is set based on the absolute position information of the ball 23 specified by the ball distribution device 44 or the cage assembly device 45.
The lubricant inspection device 1 is the lubricant inspection device 1 described in the first embodiment, and is a device that inspects the state of the applied lubricant by the first and second inspection steps.
The lubricant failure discharge device 47 is a device that discharges the bearing 2 that has been determined to be defective in the lubricant application state by the inspection of the lubricant inspection device 1 together with the transport pallet 17 to a predetermined failure discharge area.
The processing of the bearing 2 discharged by the defective lubricant discharge device 47 is determined based on the inspection result of the lubricant application state. For example, when the lubricant has not been applied, the lubricant is applied again to the lubricant application device 46, and when the lubricant is defective, offline correction, that is, manual correction by the operator (manual correction) is performed. The

The torque inspection device 48 is a device that measures the rotational torque of the bearing 2. The torque inspection device 48 determines that the product is non-defective when the measurement result is within a predetermined torque value range, and determines that the torque is defective when the measurement result is out of range.
The acoustic inspection device 49 is an inspection device that determines quietness when the bearing 2 rotates. The acoustic inspection device 49 determines the state of polishing of the raceway groove based on the level of noise caused by high-speed rotation, and determines that the noise level exceeds a predetermined threshold value as defective.
The defective discharge device 50 is a device that discharges the bearing 2 determined to be defective by the inspection of the torque inspection device 48 or the acoustic inspection device 49 together with the transport pallet 17 to a predetermined defective discharge area.

The non-defective product collecting device 51 is a device that stores the bearing 2 that has been determined to be non-defective that has passed the inspections of the torque testing device 48 and the acoustic testing device 49 together with the transport pallet 17 in a predetermined non-defective product collecting area.
The display device 52 is a device that performs display related to the operation processing of the lubricant application device 46 disposed in the vicinity of the lubricant application device 46, and displays information of three colors of red, yellow, and green, and information. A display is provided. In the display device 52, when a lubricant application failure occurs, a yellow or red indicator lamp is turned on according to the generation condition, and a green indicator lamp is turned on at normal times.
The control device 60 is a device for managing the operations of various devices provided in the bearing production line and the pallet transport conveyor 19, and is configured by a computer having functions of input, storage, calculation, control, and output. The storage unit of the control device 60 stores a program showing a series of processing procedures such as assembly, lubricant application, and inspection, and the CPU of the control device 60 executes this program.

Next, the manufacturing process of the bearing 2 in the bearing manufacturing line configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the manufacturing process of the bearing 2 in the bearing manufacturing line according to the second embodiment.
First, the members constituting the bearing 2 are assembled by the inner ring supply device 41, the outer ring supply device 42, the ball supply device 43, the ball distribution device 44, and the cage assembly device 45 (step 51).
Specifically, the inner ring supply device 41 mounts the inner ring 22 on the transfer pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached, which is transferred by the pallet transfer conveyor 19. Subsequently, the outer ring supply device 42 places the outer ring 21 eccentrically on the outer side of the inner ring 22. Then, the ball supply device 43 supplies the ball 23 between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22.
After supplying the ball 23, the ball supply device 43 moves the inner ring 22 from the eccentric position to the concentric position. Then, after the balls equalizing device 44 arranges the balls 23 supplied between the inner ring 22 and the outer ring 21 at equal intervals, the cage 24 is inserted between the inner ring 22 and the outer ring 21 by the cage assembly device 45. Is incorporated.

Next, the assembled bearing 2 is transported to the lubricant application device 46 by the pallet transport conveyor 19. Then, the lubricant application device 46 performs a process of applying the lubricant to the lubricant reservoir 242 in the cage 24 of the bearing 2 (step 52).
Note that the lubricant application device 46 reads the pallet number 70 by the reader before (or after) applying the lubricant. Then, the read pallet number 70 and the lubricant application condition information in the bearing 2 mounted on the transport pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached are associated with each other and transmitted to the control device 60. Examples of the lubricant application condition information include the nozzle opening time of the lubricant, nozzle position information, and a pressing value (injection pressure value).
The control device 60 receives the data transmitted from the lubricant application device 46 and stores it in a predetermined storage area.

The bearing 2 subjected to the lubricant application process is conveyed to the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 by the pallet conveyor 19. And the process which test | inspects the application state of the lubricant in the bearing 2 is performed by the lubricant inspection apparatus 1 (step 53).
In this lubricant inspection device 1, the processes of the first and second inspection steps described in the first embodiment are continuously performed.
In the lubricant inspection device 1, the pallet number 70 is read by the reading device before (or after) the inspection process. Then, the read pallet number 70 and the inspection result of the bearing 2 mounted on the transport pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached are associated with each other and transmitted to the control device 60.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of inspection result data in the lubricant inspection apparatus 1.
As shown in FIG. 11, as an inspection result in the lubricant inspection apparatus 1, for example, the area value of the lubricant application area detected at the application positions 1 to N and the non-application positions 1 to N, and the detected rotation direction. An angle (rotation direction detection), a determination result, an NG determination factor, a determination condition, and the like are transmitted to the control device 60.
In the present embodiment, the determination result and the cause of the NG determination are specified in the image processing device 30 of the lubricant inspection device 1. However, even if these items are specified in the control device 60 based on the inspection result. Good. By performing the specific processing in the control device 60, the load on the image processing device 30 can be reduced.
In the example shown in FIG. 11, the area value of the lubricant application region at each application position 1 to N is in the range of 40 to 50, and the area of the lubricant application region at each non-application position 1 to N. When the value does not exceed 0, it is determined to be a non-defective product (OK).
The application positions 1 to N indicate the inspection region in the cage 24 indicated by the broken line part in FIG. 5C, and the non-application positions 1 to N indicate the balls 23 indicated by the broken line part in FIG. The inspection area is shown.

As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, when no lubricant application area is detected at any of the application positions 1 to N and the non-application positions 1 to N, the result is “NG” due to “no lubricant”. Judge that there is. Also, if the application area of the application position 1 to N lubricant is less than 40, it is judged as defective (NG) because “the lubricant is low”, and the application area of the application position 1 to N lubricant exceeds 50. Therefore, it is judged as defective (NG) because “the lubricant is large”.
In addition, when the lubricant application areas at all of the application positions 1 to N are extremely small and the lubricant application areas are detected at the non-application positions 1 to N, it is judged as defective (NG) due to “position shift”. To do. The “positional deviation” indicates a rotational positional deviation of the nozzle in the lubricant application device 46.
Further, the area value of the lubricant application region at each of the application positions 1 to N is in the range of 40 to 50, and the area value of the lubricant application region at any of the non-application positions 1 to N is 0. When it exceeds, it is judged as defective (NG) because of “overhang”. The “extrusion” is caused by a dripping phenomenon that occurs when the movement of the transport pallet 17 by the pallet transport conveyor 19 is started within the lubricant application time in the lubricant application device 46.

Returning to the description of FIG. 10, the control device 60 receives the inspection result transmitted from the lubricant inspection device 1 and stores it in a predetermined storage area.
Subsequently, based on the inspection result of the lubricant inspection device 1, the control device 60 determines whether or not the bearing 2 mounted on the transport pallet 17 with the pallet number 70 has passed the inspection of the lubricant application state. , It is determined whether or not the determination is OK (step 54).
When the inspection of the application state of the lubricant has passed (step 54; Y), the transport pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached is transported to the torque inspection device 48. In this case, the transport pallet 17 is not a target for discharge by the defective lubricant discharge device 47.
Then, the inspection by the torque inspection device 48 and the acoustic inspection device 49 is continued (step 55).
In the torque inspection device 48 and the acoustic inspection device 49, the pallet number 70 is read by the reading device before (or after) each inspection process. Then, the read pallet number 70 and the inspection result of the bearing 2 mounted on the transport pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached are associated with each other and transmitted to the control device 60.
The control device 60 receives data transmitted from the torque inspection device 48 and the acoustic inspection device 49 and stores it in a predetermined storage area.

Subsequently, based on the inspection results of the torque inspection device 48 and the acoustic inspection device 49, the control device 60 determines whether or not the bearing 2 mounted on the transport pallet 17 of the pallet number 70 has passed both inspections, It is determined whether or not an OK determination has been made (step 56).
When both the torque and sound inspections are passed (step 56; Y), the transport pallet 17 with the pallet number 70 attached is transported to the non-defective product collecting device 51 and put into a predetermined storage area by the non-defective product collecting device 51. It is collected (step 57) and the process is terminated. In this case, the transport pallet 17 is not a target for discharge by the defective discharge device 50.
If both the torque and sound inspections are not passed (step 56; N), the transport pallet 17 to which the pallet number 70 is attached is transported to the defective discharge device 50, and the defective discharge device 50 performs a predetermined defect. Collected in the discharge area (step 58), the process is terminated.

On the other hand, when the inspection of the application state of the lubricant is not passed in the process of step 54 (step 54; N), the control device 60 determines the lubricant based on the inspection result transmitted from the lubricant inspection device 1. Feedback control of the coating device 46 is performed (step 59).
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the content of feedback control instructions to the lubricant application device 46 when the lubricant application state inspection is not passed.
As shown in FIG. 12, for example, when it is determined that there is a failure (NG) due to “no lubricant” and the number of times “no lubricant” has been detected so far is less than a predetermined number (n times), control is performed. The apparatus 60 sets the application time longer by a predetermined time, and gives an instruction to the lubricant application apparatus 46 to increase the application pressure (pressure applied to the injection nozzle) by a predetermined value. The number of times shown here indicates the number of counts after starting the lubricant application device 46 or after returning the lubricant application device 46.

As shown in FIG. 12, when it is determined that a failure (NG) is caused by “less lubricant” and the number of times “less lubricant” is detected to date is less than a predetermined number (n times), the control device 60 The lubrication application time is set to be longer by a predetermined time, and an instruction to increase the application pressure by a predetermined value is issued to the lubricant application device 46.
If the number of times that “large amount of lubricant” is determined to be defective (NG) and the number of times that “large amount of lubricant” has been detected to date is less than the predetermined number (n times), the control device 60 sets the application time to the predetermined time. An instruction to reduce the application pressure by a predetermined value is issued to the lubricant application device 46.
When it is determined as defective (NG) due to “position deviation” and the number of times “position deviation” has been detected so far is less than a predetermined number (n times), the control device 60 causes the nozzle head in the lubricant application device 46 to Is instructed to rotate by a predetermined angle.

Here, an example of a method for calculating the rotation angle of the nozzle head in the lubricant application device 46, that is, the correction angle of the nozzle head will be described.
FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating the correction angle of the nozzle head in the lubricant application device 46.
The rotation angle (correction angle) of the nozzle head in the lubricant application device 46 is calculated based on the following equation, for example.
Rotation angle = (average lubricant application amount / non-application position area) × (360 ° / number of balls) × ratio γ
However, in the above formula, “average lubricant application amount” indicates the average value of the area of the lubricant application region at the non-application positions 1 to N. “Non-application position area” indicates the non-application positions 1 to N, that is, the area value of the inspection region in the ball 23. “Number of balls” indicates the number of balls 23 arranged on the bearing 2.
“Ratio γ” represents a ratio (ratio) of the balls 23 in the circumferential direction of the bearing 2 and is represented by α / β. Here, α indicates an angle occupied by one ball 23 as shown in FIG. 13, and β indicates an angle obtained by dividing 360 ° by the number of balls 23 arranged on the bearing 2.

Returning to the description of FIG. 12, when it is determined that a defect (NG) is caused by “overflow” and the number of times “excess” has been detected so far is less than a predetermined number (n times), the control device 60 determines whether or not the pallet transfer conveyor An instruction to set the waiting time until the start of the conveyance of the conveyance pallet 17 after applying the lubricant to the drive device 19 by a predetermined time is issued.
Further, the control device 60 issues an instruction to turn on the yellow indicator lamp to the display device 52 when the number of times of detection of the factor (such as “low lubricant” or “high lubricant”) is less than n times.
When the number of detected factors reaches n times, the control device 60 issues an instruction to stop the lubricant application operation to the lubricant application device 46, and instructs the indicator to turn on the red indicator lamp. The display device 52 is instructed to display a message for prompting inspection confirmation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when a lubricant application failure is detected in the lubricant inspection device 1, the lubricant application failure is detected to the operator of the bearing manufacturing line by the indicator lamp or the display device in the display device 52. The occurrence can be visually recognized.
Further, a display device similar to the display device 52 is provided in the lubricant inspection device 1, and when a lubricant application failure is detected, the lubricant inspection device 1 side also provides the lubricant to the operator via this display device. You may make it recognize visually that the coating defect of this was detected. In this case, the display device provided in the lubricant inspection device 1 displays information such as the pallet number 70 of the bearing 2 in which application failure is detected and the cause of failure (NG) determination. Thereby, the operator can confirm quickly the bearing 2 from which the application | coating failure was detected.

Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 10, the transport pallet 17 on which the bearing 2 determined to be defective (NG) is mounted is transported to the lubricant failure discharge device 47, and a predetermined failure discharge area is provided by the lubricant failure discharge device 47. (Step 60), and the process ends.
As described above, according to the second embodiment, the lubricant application condition (setting condition) in the lubricant application device 46 can be automatically corrected based on the inspection result of the lubricant inspection device 1. . Thereby, since the occurrence of defective application of the lubricant can be reduced, the yield rate in the bearing production line can be appropriately improved.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of nozzles in the lubricant application device 46 are fixed in advance with the positions of all the nozzles arranged in the circumferential direction, but the nozzle arrangement method is not limited to this. Absent. For example, each nozzle may be arranged in an independent state. When arranged in this way, each nozzle can be individually controlled, so that the application position of the lubricant is corrected for each application position 1 to N based on the inspection result of the lubricant inspection apparatus 1. Can do.
In the present embodiment, each time a lubricant application failure is detected, the set value of the lubricant application device 46 is corrected (adjusted) based on the inspection result of the lubricant inspection device 1. The timing at which the inspection result of the lubricant inspection device 1 is fed back to the lubricant application device 46 is not limited to this. For example, when starting the bearing production line, the initial set value of the lubricant application device 46 may be changed (adjusted) based on the inspection result in the previous production lot.

When manufacturing a type of bearing that incorporates a shield plate in the bearing production line, a shield plate assembly device is further provided, and after the inspection in the lubricant inspection device 1 is completed, the bearing 2 that has passed this inspection is shielded. Incorporate a board. That is, in the bearing production line, the torque inspection and the acoustic inspection are performed after the shield plate is incorporated.
The shield plate is an annular cover member disposed so as to cover the raceway region in order to prevent the leakage of the lubricant to the outside of the bearing 2 and the inflow of dust to the inside of the bearing.

It is the figure which showed schematic structure of the lubricant test | inspection apparatus which test | inspects the application state of the lubricant in the bearing which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the bearing, (b) was the figure which showed the cross section in the AA 'part shown to (a), (c) showed the schematic structure of the holder | retainer. It is a perspective view. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the process which test | inspects the application state of the lubricant in a holder | retainer. It is the figure which showed an example of the captured image at the time of irradiating visible light. It is a figure for demonstrating the image process in case a small amount of lubricants are apply | coated. It is a figure for demonstrating the image processing in case the appropriate quantity of lubricant is apply | coated. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the process which test | inspects the application state of the lubricant in a ball | bowl. It is a figure for demonstrating the image processing in case the lubrication agent is apply | coated on the ball | bowl. It is the figure which showed schematic structure of the bearing manufacturing line which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the manufacturing process of the bearing in the bearing manufacturing line which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the data of the test result in a lubricant test | inspection apparatus. It is the figure which showed the instruction | indication content of the feedback control to the lubricant application apparatus in case the inspection of the application | coating state of a lubricant is not passed. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of the correction angle of the nozzle head in a lubricant coating device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lubricant inspection apparatus 2 Bearing 11 Camera 12 Lens 13 Sharp cut filter 14 Shading hood 15 Red light LED
16 UV LED
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 17 Conveying pallet 18 Reflecting / non-reflecting plate 19 Pallet conveying conveyor 21 Outer ring 22 Inner ring 23 Ball 24 Cage 30 Image processing device 41 Inner ring supply device 42 Outer ring supply device 43 Ball supply device 44 Ball distribution device 45 Cage assembly device 46 Lubricant application device 47 Lubricant defective discharge device 48 Torque inspection device 49 Acoustic inspection device 50 Defect discharge device 51 Non-defective product recovery device 52 Display device 60 Control device 241 Pocket 242 Lubricant reservoir 243 Lubricant

Claims (11)

An inspection device for inspecting the state of application of lubricant in a rolling bearing comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage for separating the rolling elements. Because
Imaging means for imaging the rolling bearing;
Extraction means for extracting a lubricant application area and a lubricant application prohibition area from the image captured by the imaging means,
First inspection means for inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application region;
A second inspection means for inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application prohibition region;
An inspection apparatus comprising:
A first light source that emits visible or infrared light;
The rolling bearing cage to be inspected by the inspection device has light transmittance,
The imaging means captures a transmission image of a rolling bearing by visible light or infrared rays irradiated from the first light source,
The extraction unit extracts the application region in the holder from the image captured by the imaging unit, and further represents a visible light or infrared transmission region or non-transmission region in the extracted application region. Extract a specific area,
2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first inspection unit inspects a lubricant application state based on a comparison result between an area of the application region and an area of the first specific region. .
An inspection device for inspecting the application state of a lubricant having a fluorescent component in the rolling bearing,
A second light source that emits ultraviolet light;
The imaging means images the rolling bearing irradiated to the second light source,
The extraction means extracts the application prohibited area from the image captured by the imaging means, and further extracts a second specific area in the extracted application prohibited area,
The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second inspection unit inspects a lubricant application state based on an extraction result of the second specific region.
The said 2nd test | inspection means test | inspects the application state of a lubricant based on the comparison result of the area of the said 2nd specific area | region extracted by the said extraction means, and a predetermined threshold value. Item 4. The inspection apparatus according to Item 3.
5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts a region of a rolling element as the lubricant application prohibited region.
6. The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the extraction unit extracts a color region indicating an imaging region of the lubricant as the second specific region.
A reflective plate for reflecting visible light or infrared light emitted from the first light source;
The said imaging means images the transmission image of the rolling bearing by visible light or infrared rays irradiated through the said reflecting plate, The inspection of any one of Claims 2-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. apparatus.
Inspection method for inspecting application state of lubricant in a rolling bearing comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage for separating the rolling elements. Because
A first step of imaging the rolling bearing;
A second step of extracting a lubricant application region and a lubricant application prohibition region from the image captured in the first step;
A third step of inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application region;
A fourth step of inspecting a lubricant application state in the lubricant application prohibition region;
An inspection method characterized by comprising:
An assembly device for assembling a rolling bearing comprising at least an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements, and a cage for separating the rolling elements;
A lubricant application device for applying a lubricant to a predetermined position of the assembled rolling bearing;
An inspection device for detecting the application state of the lubricant in the rolling bearing coated with the lubricant;
A rolling bearing manufacturing apparatus comprising:
The said detection apparatus is an inspection apparatus of any one of Claims 1-7, The manufacturing apparatus of a rolling bearing characterized by the above-mentioned.
The rolling bearing manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lubricant application device adjusts a lubricant application position based on an inspection result in the inspection device.
A fifth step of assembling a rolling bearing comprising at least an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements, and a cage for separating the rolling elements;
A sixth step of applying a lubricant to a predetermined position of the assembled rolling bearing;
A seventh step of detecting a lubricant application state in the rolling bearing coated with the lubricant;
A method of manufacturing a rolling bearing comprising:
The method for manufacturing a rolling bearing according to claim 8, wherein the seventh step is an inspection method according to claim 8.

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