JP2008304358A - Device for inspecting leakage of enclosed component and its inspection method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a leakage inspection device for enclosed components which can inspect leakage of an enclosed component in the same environment as that where the enclosed component is actually used, specify a plurality of leaking spots in the enclosed component, reduces cost, and perform inspection of the enclosed component nondestructively through the use of an electromagnetic wave. <P>SOLUTION: This leakage inspection device 10 for enclosed components is employed to inspect whether a predetermined leakage substance leaks from a sealed space 23 of the enclosed component 20 having the sealed space 23, and includes: an irradiation part 11 for emitting an electromagnetic wave L having a wavelength which passes through a forming material of the enclosed component 20 and is absorbed by a leakage substance, to the enclosed component 20; a detection part 15 for detecting an electromagnetic wave L having passed through the enclosed component 20 or being a reflection from the surface of the enclosed component 20, and converting it into an electric signal; a calculation part 16 for calculating a leakage amount of the leakage substance from the electric signal; and a determination part 17 for determining by using the leakage amount whether the leakage of the enclosed component 20 is conforming. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a leakage inspection apparatus for a sealed part and an inspection method thereof, and more particularly to an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for inspecting leakage of a sealed part using electromagnetic waves.

  Conventionally, a sealed part having a sealed space has been widely used. An electronic part such as a sensor is enclosed in a sealed space of this type of sealed part. Such a sealed part is used by being mounted on a car or the like, and is exposed to various environments depending on the use condition of the car. For this reason, if the sealed component has a leak, depending on the usage environment, a leaking substance such as water may enter the sealed space inside and cause a failure of the electronic component sealed inside.

Therefore, an inspection apparatus or an inspection method for inspecting leakage of sealed parts has been proposed.
For example, JIS Z 2331 Annex 8 discloses a dipping method (bombing method) using the apparatus shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 as a leakage inspection method for sealed parts. FIG. 13 shows an apparatus 400 for injecting helium gas into a sealed part. FIG. 14 shows an apparatus 500 for detecting helium gas leaking from the sealed container. In this inspection method, as shown in FIG. 13, the sealed component 100 having the sealed space 101 is placed in a bombing tank 401, and the inside of the bombing tank 401 is decompressed by the exhaust device 403, whereby the sealed component 100 is reduced in pressure. deep. When the sealed component 100 has a leak, the sealed space 101 is also decompressed. Next, helium gas is injected from the helium gas tank 402 into the bombing tank 401. If the sealed component 100 has a leak, helium enters the sealed space 101. Next, this sealed component 100 is put into a vacuum container 504 shown in FIG. 14, and the inside of the vacuum container 504 is decompressed by the exhaust device 503. The helium gas that has entered the sealed space 101 of the leaking sealed component 100 is released from the sealed space 101 into the outer vacuum vessel 504, and by measuring this leak with the helium leak detector 501, the presence or absence of the leak and Measure the leak rate.

  Further, as a method for identifying the leaking part of the sealed part, a suction method (sniffer method) disclosed in JIS Z 2331 Annex 4 is disclosed. FIG. 15 shows an apparatus 600 for detecting helium gas leaking from the sealed container. In this method, as described above, the sealed component 100 in which helium gas is sealed in the sealed space is placed in the vacuum container 602 as shown in FIG. 15, and the inside of the vacuum container 602 is decompressed by the exhaust device 603. Under this reduced pressure, the leakage part of the sealed part 100 is detected while tracing the surface of the sealed part 100 using the sniffer probe 601.

  Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a leakage inspection apparatus for a sealed part in which helium gas or the like is enclosed in the sealed space in advance when manufacturing a sealed part having a sealed space, and the bombing operation shown in FIG. 13 is unnecessary. Has been.

  However, in the above-described leakage inspection apparatus for sealed parts or the inspection method thereof, it is necessary to use a specific substance such as helium gas as a leakage substance, and leakage that enters the sealed space in an environment where the sealed part is actually used. The substance cannot be used for leak inspection. In the above-described leak inspection, it may be difficult to set the pressure when the leaking substance enters the sealed space to a pressure at which the leaking substance is pressed into the sealed space in an environment where the sealed part is actually used. .

Further, in the method using the sniffer probe, when leakage occurs at two or more sites in one sealed part, the sniffer probe sucks out the leaked helium gas, and thus leaks. It is difficult to specify the site accurately. Therefore, when the threshold value of the detection concentration for determining leakage is set high so that leakage at a plurality of locations can be measured, there arises a problem that the leakage itself cannot be detected accurately. In addition, in order to solve these problems, there is a method of inspecting the sniffer probe close to the sealed part. However, this method requires mechanical scanning of the sniffer probe, so that the inspection time is reduced. As a result, a new problem arises in that a sealed part having a complicated shape cannot be inspected.
Also, using expensive helium gas to inspect a large number of sealed parts increases the manufacturing cost of the sealed parts.

  Furthermore, it is known that leakage of sealed parts is generally not reversible when the leaking substance enters from the outside to the inside and when the leaking substance is released from the inside to the outside. ing. For this reason, the conventional inspection method in which helium gas that has entered from the outside toward the inside discharges from the inside toward the outside has a fundamental problem in that 100% leakage cannot be detected.

  Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for inspecting the inside of a substance nondestructively using electromagnetic waves.

JP 2002-134164 A JP 2006-170718 A JP 2006-17418 A JP 2006-105646 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and in an environment where the sealed part is actually used, the sealed part enters from the outside to the inside or from the inside of the sealed part to the outside. The released substance can be used as a leaking substance, and in an environment where the sealed part is actually used, the leaking substance enters from the outside to the inside of the sealed part, or from the inside of the sealed part to the outside. Leakage inspection device for sealed parts and its inspection, which can use the pressure released toward it, can identify a plurality of leakage points occurring in sealed parts, is low in cost and can be inspected non-destructively using electromagnetic waves It aims to provide a method.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the leak inspection apparatus for a sealed part according to claim 1 is characterized in that the sealed space (23) of the sealed part (20) having the sealed space (23) leaks against a predetermined substance. An irradiation unit that irradiates the sealing component (20) with an electromagnetic wave (L) having a wavelength that is transmitted through the forming material of the sealing component (20) and absorbed by the substance. 11), a detection unit (15) that detects the electromagnetic wave (L) that has passed through the sealing component (20) or reflected from the surface of the sealing component (20), and converts the electromagnetic wave (L) into an electrical signal; A calculation unit (16) that calculates the leakage amount of the substance from the electrical signal; and a determination unit (17) that determines whether the sealing component (20) is leaking using the leakage amount. It is characterized by.

  Thereby, in the environment where the sealing part (20) is actually used, the sealing part (20) enters from the outside to the inside or is released from the inside of the sealing part (20) to the outside. In the environment where the sealing part (20) is actually used, the leaking substance enters from the outside to the inside of the sealing part, or the sealing part (20). The pressure released from the inside to the outside can be used, moreover, a plurality of leaking parts occurring in the sealed part (20) can be specified, and the cost is low, and the non-destructive sealed part using electromagnetic waves It is possible to check for leaks.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 1, as in the invention described in claim 2, the sealed part (20) is a leak of sealed parts in which the substance is enclosed in the sealed space (23). It is preferably applied to an inspection apparatus. Further, the invention according to claim 1 is applied to a leakage inspection device for a sealed part in which the sealed part (20) is subjected to the press-in treatment of the substance as in the invention according to claim 3. It is preferable.

  The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the electromagnetic wave (L) is a terahertz wave.

  Accordingly, the electromagnetic wave (L) can be easily controlled using the optical element, and the leakage substance existing inside the sealed component (20) can be safely inspected.

  The invention according to claim 5 has a heating / cooling section (19) for heating or cooling the substance in the sealed space (23).

  Thereby, since the phase of the leaking substance in the sealed space (23) can be changed, for example, by changing the phase of the liquid into a gas, all the leaking substances present in the sealed space can be inspected as a gas. The ability to detect leaking substances can be improved.

  The invention described in claim 6 is characterized by having an irradiation direction control section (12) for controlling the irradiation direction of the electromagnetic wave (L) irradiated to the sealed component (20).

  Thereby, the S / N ratio of the detection signal can be improved and the detection capability of the leaking substance can be improved.

  The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that the sealing part (20) has a diaphragm (13) for adjusting an irradiation range in which the electromagnetic wave (L) is irradiated.

  As a result, the electromagnetic wave (L) can be irradiated only on the part of the sealed component (20) to be irradiated with the electromagnetic wave (L), and unnecessary electromagnetic waves (L) can be prevented from entering the detector. By improving the S / N ratio, it is possible to improve the ability to detect leaking substances.

  The invention according to claim 8 has a component fixing portion (18) for fixing the sealing component (20), and the component fixing portion (18) rotates or moves the sealing component (20) in parallel. It is made to move.

  Thereby, the sealed component (L) can be fixed, and the electromagnetic wave can be irradiated only to the site of the sealed component to be irradiated with the electromagnetic wave (L). Further, the sealed component (20) is moved to perform scanning and irradiation with the electromagnetic wave (L), and two-dimensional information regarding the position of the leaking substance existing in the sealed space (23) can be obtained.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the substance is directed from the outside to the inside of the sealing part (20) or from the inside to the outside in a situation where the sealing part (20) is actually used. It is the same as the material that leaks.

  As a result, in a situation where the sealing part (20) is actually used, it is possible to inspect the leakage part released from the sealing part (20) or to enter the sealing part (20). Increases accuracy.

  The invention according to claim 10 is a leakage inspection method for a sealed part for inspecting whether the sealed space (23) of the sealed part (20) having the sealed space (23) has a leak with respect to a predetermined substance. The electromagnetic wave (L) having a wavelength that is transmitted through the forming material of the sealed part (20) and absorbed by the substance is applied to the sealed part (20) and transmitted through the sealed part (20). Or detecting the electromagnetic wave (L) reflected from the surface of the hermetic component (20) and converting it to an electrical signal, calculating the leakage amount of the substance from the electrical signal, and using the leakage amount, It is characterized by determining the quality of the leakage of the sealed part (20).

  Thus, the same effect as in the first aspect is obtained.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, as in the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the sealed component (20) is a leak test of a sealed component in which the substance is enclosed in the sealed space (23). It is preferably applied to the method. The invention according to claim 10 is applied to a leakage inspection method for a sealed part in which the sealed part (20) is obtained by press-fitting the substance as in the invention according to claim 12. It is preferable.

  The invention according to claim 13 is characterized in that the electromagnetic wave (L) is a terahertz wave.

  Thus, the same effect as in the fourth aspect is achieved.

  The invention described in claim 14 is characterized by irradiating the electromagnetic wave (L) by heating or cooling the substance in the sealed space (23).

  Thereby, the same effect as that of claim 5 is obtained.

  The invention according to claim 15 is characterized in that after the irradiation range of the electromagnetic wave (L) is adjusted, the sealed component is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave (L).

  Thus, the same effect as in the seventh aspect is obtained.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the parenthesis attached | subjected to each said means is an example which shows a corresponding relationship with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later or an embodiment.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A screw component inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a leak inspection apparatus 10 for a sealed part (hereinafter also simply referred to as the apparatus 10) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus 10 is an apparatus for inspecting whether the sealed space (23) of the sealed part 20 having the sealed space 23 has a leak with respect to a predetermined leaking substance.
As the leaking substance, it is preferable to use a substance that enters from the outside to the inside of the sealing part 20 or is released from the inside to the outside in a situation where the sealing part 20 is actually used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes an irradiation unit 11 that irradiates the sealed component 20 with an electromagnetic wave L having a wavelength that passes through the forming material of the sealed component 20 and is absorbed by the leaking substance, and the sealed component 20. The detection unit 15 that detects the electromagnetic wave L that has passed through and converts it into an electric signal, the calculation unit 16 that calculates the amount of leakage of the leaking substance from the electric signal, and the leakage amount of the sealed component 20 using the leakage amount And a determination unit 17 for determining whether or not.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 controls the irradiation direction of the electromagnetic wave L applied to the heating / cooling unit 19 that heats or cools the leaking substance in the sealed space 23 and the sealed component 20. It has the part 12, the aperture | diaphragm | squeeze part 13 which adjusts the irradiation range which irradiates the electromagnetic wave L to the sealing component 20, and the component fixing | fixed part 18 which fixes a sealing component.

  In addition, it is preferable that the apparatus 10 performs a leak inspection of the sealed component 20 in an atmosphere having a constant humidity and temperature in order to reduce the influence of disturbance on the electromagnetic wave L and perform stable measurement.

  The apparatus 10 uses a terahertz wave as the electromagnetic wave L. The terahertz wave has both radio wave and light properties, has transparency to the material forming the sealed component 20 such as a resin, and can be refracted by an optical element such as an optical lens. Easy to control. Further, since the terahertz wave is absorbed by a leaking substance such as water, the leaking substance inside the sealed component 20 can be measured in a non-destructive manner. Further, unlike X-rays, terahertz waves have little influence on the human body and can be said to be safe electromagnetic waves.

  The sealed component 20 shown in FIG. 2 is formed mainly of a resin, and this resin transmits a terahertz wave. In this specification, a terahertz wave is transmitted through a substance when the terahertz wave is not absorbed at all by the transmitted substance and when the terahertz wave is absorbed by the transmitted substance. Means to pass through.

In general, a terahertz wave refers to an electromagnetic wave of 0.1 THz to 10 THz whose wavelength is in a range of 3 μm to 3 mm. In the present specification, the terahertz wave can pass through the sealed component 20 formed mainly of a resin and can be absorbed by a leaking substance, even if it is in a range including a part of infrared rays from millimeter waves. Good.
In particular, when water is used as a leaking substance, it is preferable to use a frequency band that includes a vicinity of 1 THz, which has a large absorption coefficient in water, and specifically, 0.03 to 10 THz is used as the frequency of the terahertz wave. Is preferred.

  The apparatus 1 can inspect for leakage of a sealed part 20 having a sealed space 23 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, for example. An electronic component 24 that is a sensor is disposed in the sealed space 23. This sealing component 20 is a component mounted on a vehicle.

  The sealed component 20 has a cylindrical shape with a step, and includes a component upper portion 21 and a component lower portion 22. The component upper portion 21 has a step portion with a reduced diameter, and is joined to the component lower portion 22 by a joint portion 25 located at the end of the step portion.

A sealed space 23 is provided inside the upper part 21. An electronic component 24 is accommodated in the sealed space 23, and the electronic component 24 is fixed to the component lower portion 22.
The upper part 21 is made of resin, and this resin can transmit terahertz waves.

  Since the sealing component 20 is mounted and used in a vehicle, it is exposed to various environments depending on the usage state of the vehicle. Therefore, if the sealed component 20 has a leak, depending on the usage environment, a leaking substance such as rainwater or seawater may enter the sealed space inside and cause a failure of the electronic component disposed inside. The possibility of leakage of the sealed component 20 is particularly high at the joint portion 25.

  Next, the apparatus 10 will be described in detail below.

  The irradiation unit 11 irradiates the sealed component 20 with electromagnetic waves. The irradiation unit 11 includes an electromagnetic wave transmitter that transmits an electromagnetic wave and a resonance antenna unit that irradiates the transmitted electromagnetic wave toward the sealed component 20. As this resonance antenna section, for example, a horn antenna can be used. Moreover, in this apparatus 10, an electromagnetic wave transmitter transmits the electromagnetic wave of a single wavelength.

  The detection unit 15 receives the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the sealed component 20 and detects the received electromagnetic wave. Then, the detection unit 15 converts the detected electromagnetic wave into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the calculation unit 16. In the apparatus 10, the electric signal is output to the calculation unit 16 as a voltage value.

  The detection unit 15 includes a reception antenna unit that collects the received electromagnetic wave, and an electromagnetic wave-electric signal converter including a power element that converts the electromagnetic wave collected by the antenna unit into an electrical signal. As this receiving antenna section, a horn antenna can be used. Further, if the detection unit 15 has a configuration in which a large number of electromagnetic wave-electric signal converters are two-dimensionally arranged, leakage existing in the sealed space 23 of the sealed component 20 due to the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave by the irradiation unit 11 once. Two-dimensional information about the position of the substance can be obtained. This two-dimensional information may be imaged.

  Moreover, in this apparatus 10, the irradiation part 11 and the detection part 15 have the irradiation part drive device and detection part drive device which are not shown in figure, and when these apparatuses drive in conjunction, the irradiation part 11 and The position of the detection unit 15 can be changed.

  For example, the irradiation unit 11 irradiates the sealed component 20 with an electromagnetic wave, and receives the electromagnetic wave L transmitted by the detection unit 15, while the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 15 each have a two-dimensional plane orthogonal to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave L. It is possible to scan the sealed component 20 by moving the components in conjunction with each other. As a result, two-dimensional information can be obtained regarding the position of the leaking substance present in the sealed space 23 of the sealed component 20. This two-dimensional information may also be imaged.

  When an electric signal is input from the detection unit 15, the calculation unit 16 obtains the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave from the electric signal, and uses this transmission amount and a calibration curve prepared in advance to leak the leakage substance. The quantity is calculated.

  In the present apparatus 1, by using the above calibration curve, the leakage amount of the leaking substance is obtained from the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave, thereby removing the fluctuation factors such as the dimension of the sealed component 20 and the transmission thickness, and increasing the detection accuracy of the leakage amount. It is increasing.

  Further, in the present apparatus 10, in order to increase the S / N ratio of the electromagnetic wave received by the detection unit 15, the irradiation unit 11 is irradiated a predetermined number of times to calculate the amount of transmission of the electromagnetic wave. 16 by the averaging process. In order to perform this averaging process, the number of times of irradiation with electromagnetic waves is preferably set as appropriate depending on the dimensions or shapes of the sealed part 20 and the sealed space 23.

  The determination unit 17 compares the leakage amount of the leaked substance obtained by the calculation unit 16 with a predetermined threshold value, and performs a determination process on whether or not the sealed component 20 is leaking. The determination unit 17 determines that the sealed component 20 is a non-defective product when the sealed component 20 has no leakage or the leakage amount is equal to or less than the above threshold value. If it is too high, it is determined that the sealed component 20 is defective.

  When the detection unit 15 outputs the position of the leaking substance existing in the sealed space 23 of the sealed part 20 as the two-dimensional information, the determination unit 17 includes the position information of the leaking substance along with the determination process. It may be output as an image.

  The hardware of the determination unit 17 and the arithmetic unit 16 described above is composed of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a numerical arithmetic processor, a semiconductor memory such as ROM or RAM, a magnetic recording medium or an optical recording medium, an input / output interface, and the like. Can do. The arithmetic processing program performed by the arithmetic unit 16 or the determination processing program performed by the determination unit 17 can be recorded on the magnetic recording medium or the optical recording medium.

  Moreover, this apparatus 1 has the irradiation direction control part 12 between the irradiation part 11 and the sealing component 20, and between the sealing part 20 and the detection part 15, respectively, as shown in FIG. The irradiation direction of the electromagnetic wave L irradiated by the irradiation unit 11 is controlled by, for example, parallelizing, condensing, and enlarging. As the irradiation direction control unit 12, for example, an optical lens can be used. Then, by appropriately selecting the shape of the optical lens to be used, the electromagnetic wave L can be collimated, condensed, and enlarged.

Further, the operation of the irradiation direction control unit 12 will be described below.
By condensing the electromagnetic wave L by the irradiation direction control unit 12 and irradiating the sealed component 20, the irradiation energy density of the electromagnetic wave L can be increased and the S / N ratio of the detection signal can be increased. Moreover, the measurement resolution can be increased for the position information of the leaking substance.

  Further, by magnifying the electromagnetic wave L by the irradiation direction control unit 12 and irradiating the sealed component 20, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the entire surface of the sealed component 20 to be measured, and the local fluctuation of the transmission amount is removed, By measuring the averaged transmission amount, it is possible to reduce the error factor of the sealed component 20 or the like.

  Further, by collimating the electromagnetic wave L with the irradiation direction control unit 12 and irradiating the sealed component 20, the scattering of the electromagnetic wave L on the surface of the sealed component 20 is reduced, and the electromagnetic wave incident on the detection unit 15 is increased. The S / N ratio of the detection signal can be increased.

  In the present apparatus 1, a pair of optical lenses is used as the pair of irradiation direction control units 12. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnetic wave L irradiated from the irradiation unit 11 is collimated by one irradiation direction control unit 12, and the parallelized electromagnetic wave L is irradiated to the sealed component 20 and transmitted through the sealed component 20. A part of the electromagnetic wave L is condensed by the other irradiation direction control unit 12 and received by the detection unit 15.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the present apparatus 1 has a diaphragm 13 between the irradiation direction control unit 12 and the sealing component 20, and adjusts the irradiation range of the electromagnetic wave L irradiated by the irradiation unit 11. can do.

  The diaphragm 13 can adjust the range in which the electromagnetic wave L irradiates the sealed component 20 or the amount of the electromagnetic wave L radiated to the sealed component 20. In addition, the diaphragm 13 is formed of a material that absorbs the electromagnetic wave L. In order to prevent the detection unit 15 from receiving an electromagnetic wave other than the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the sealed component 20 due to reflection or scattering. Is preferable.

  The electromagnetic wave L irradiated from the irradiation part 11 has a part reflected and scattered on the surface of the sealing component 20 besides the part which permeate | transmits the sealing component 20. FIG. In addition, depending on the shape of the sealed space 23 of the sealed component 20, there is a portion of electromagnetic waves reflected or scattered by the sealed space 23. Furthermore, when an electronic component or the like is disposed in the sealed space 23, there is an electromagnetic wave portion that is reflected or scattered by the electronic component or the like.

Therefore, in the present apparatus 10, in order to prevent the detection unit 15 from receiving the electromagnetic waves other than the electromagnetic wave L irradiated from the irradiation unit 11 and transmitted through the sealing component 20, the diaphragm unit 13 is provided. The background noise is reduced and the S / N ratio of the detection signal is increased.
It is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the opening 13a of the aperture 13 are appropriately adjusted as necessary.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the aperture 13 can be configured to have a vertically long rectangular opening 13a. The electromagnetic wave L applied to the sealed component 20 is only the portion that passes through the opening 13 a of the aperture 13. As described above, the range in which the electromagnetic wave L irradiates the sealed component 20 and the amount of the electromagnetic wave L are adjusted by the diaphragm 13.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3A, since the irradiation direction control unit 12 having a rectangular shape in plan view is used, the diaphragm unit 13 also has a rectangular outer shape corresponding to the irradiation direction control unit 12. Used. Thus, using the diaphragm 13 in cooperation with the irradiation direction control unit 12 is effective in adjusting the irradiation range of the electromagnetic wave L irradiated by the irradiation unit 11.

FIG. 3B shows an example in which the electromagnetic wave L is irradiated only on the central part of the sealed component 20. The aperture 13 has a circular opening 13a at the center. The electromagnetic wave L applied to the sealed component 20 is only a portion that passes through the opening 13a. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, since the irradiation direction control unit 12 having a circular shape in plan view is used, the diaphragm unit 13 also has a circular outer shape corresponding to the irradiation direction control unit 12. Something is used.
Moreover, the measurement resolution of the leaking substance can be enhanced by further reducing the size of the opening 13a and narrowing the range of the electromagnetic wave L irradiated to the sealed component 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes a heating / cooling unit 19 that heats or cools a leaking substance in the sealed space 23 by heating or cooling the sealed component 20. It is preferable that the heating / cooling unit 19 can heat or cool the entirety of the sealed component 20 and can also heat or cool locally.
As a method for heating the leaking substance, a known method such as sending hot air or emitting infrared rays can be used. As a method for cooling the leaking substance, a known method such as sending cold air can be used.

The apparatus 1 can change the phase of the leaking substance in the sealed space 23 from gas to liquid, from liquid to gas, or from liquid to solid by using the heating and cooling unit 19.
For example, in the case where the range of the electromagnetic wave L applied to the sealed component 20 is made a small spot by condensing the electromagnetic wave L or the like, even if liquid water exists as a leakage substance in a portion where the electromagnetic wave L is not irradiated If the electromagnetic wave L is not irradiated, the presence of water is not detected, and thus leakage of the sealed component 20 cannot be detected. However, if the electromagnetic wave L is irradiated in a state where all the water is changed into water vapor by heating the leaking substance in the sealed part 20 by the heating / cooling unit 19, the presence of water present in the sealed space 23 Can be reliably detected. In this way, the apparatus 10 improves the leakage detection performance and prevents the leakage from being overlooked.

  Further, for example, when the leaking substance is water as well, the heating / cooling unit 19 cools the leaking substance in the sealed part 20, thereby joining the sealed part 20 in a state where the phase of water is changed to ice. If the electromagnetic wave L is scanned and irradiated to the part 25, the intruding water exists as ice along the path in which the water has infiltrated, so that it is also possible to specify the leakage generation path.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes a component fixing unit 18 that fixes the sealed component 20, and the component fixing unit 18 can rotate or translate the sealed component 18. it can. The component fixing unit 18 is preferably capable of translating the sealed component 20 in the three-dimensional direction as well as in the two-dimensional direction. Moreover, it is preferable that the component fixing | fixed part 18 can perform the movement which combined the parallel movement and the rotational movement in the state which fixed the sealing component 20. FIG.

  In a state where the positions of the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 15 are fixed, the component fixing unit 18 is used to move the sealed component 20 in a two-dimensional direction, thereby performing irradiation of electromagnetic waves obtained by scanning the sealed component 20. . As a result, two-dimensional information about the position of the leaking substance existing in the sealed space 23 of the sealed component 20 can be obtained. This two-dimensional information may be imaged.

In the present apparatus 10, when inspecting the leakage of the sealed component 20, a leaking substance is allowed to enter the sealed component 20 under the same conditions as the actual usage conditions of the sealed component 20, or the sealed component 20. It is preferable that the leakage of the sealed part 20 is accurately inspected. That is, the leaking substance used for the inspection of the sealing part 20 is a substance that leaks from the outside to the inside of the sealing part 20 or from the inside to the outside in a situation where the sealing part 20 is actually used. Preferably they are the same. Further, it is preferable that the leaking substance is allowed to enter from the outside to the inside of the sealing part 20 or to be discharged from the inside to the outside at the same pressure as the situation in which the sealing part 20 is actually used.
Further, when inspecting the leakage of the sealed component 20, a leaking substance may be allowed to enter the sealed component 20 under pressure resistance conditions required for the sealed component 20.

  As described above, the sealing component 20 to be inspected by the apparatus 1 is mounted on a vehicle and used. If there is a leak in the sealing component 20, rainwater or seawater is used when the sealing component 20 is actually used. Or the like may enter from the outside to the inside of the sealed part 20.

This apparatus 10 can make water or seawater penetrate | invade toward the inside from the exterior of the sealing component 20, for example using the immersion method of JIS Z 2331 appendix 8. FIG. 4 shows an example of a pressurizing device that allows water to enter the sealed space 23 of the sealed component 20.
FIG. 4 shows the pressure device 40. When water W enters the sealed space 23, first, the sealed component 20 is placed in a pressure vessel 42 filled with water W, and the inside of the pressure vessel 42 is sealed by the pressure generator 41. The water W can be infiltrated into the sealed component 20 having leakage by applying pressure. As the pressure value to be pressurized, as described above, the same pressure as the situation in which the sealed component 20 is actually used or the pressure resistance required for the sealed component 20 can be used.

Next, the calibration curve used in the arithmetic unit 16 described above will be described in detail below.
The calibration curve is used when the calculation unit 16 obtains the leakage amount of the leaking substance from the voltage value indicating the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave input from the detection unit 15. In the present apparatus 10, a calibration curve corresponding to the leaking substance is used. In addition, even for the same leaking substance, a calibration curve for each phase is used corresponding to the state of the leaking substance when the leak is inspected. This is because the absorption coefficient of electromagnetic waves varies depending on the leaking substance, and the absorption coefficient of electromagnetic waves also varies depending on the phase of the leaking substance.

  In the present apparatus 10, a calibration curve corresponding to the state of the leaking substance existing in the sealed space 23 of the sealed part 20 is created in advance before performing a leak test. A method for creating a calibration curve will be described below.

In the calibration curve, a known amount of a leaking substance is sealed in the sealed space 23, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated from the irradiation unit 11 to the sealed component 20, and the amount of transmission of the electromagnetic wave at that time is measured as a voltage value. Then, the amount of leaking substance enclosed in the sealed space 23 is increased, the amount of electromagnetic waves transmitted at a plurality of levels is measured, the amount of leaking substance enclosed in the sealed space 23 is taken as the amount of leakage on the horizontal axis, It is obtained by taking the voltage value output from the detection unit 15 as the amount of electromagnetic wave transmission on the axis, plotting each measured data, and connecting the plots. At this time, it is preferable to measure a state in which the leaking substance is not enclosed in the sealed space 23, that is, a state in which the amount of the leaking substance is zero and there is no leakage.
And when inspecting the leakage of the sealed component 20, the method of irradiating the sealed component 20 with electromagnetic waves is performed in the same manner as the method of irradiating the sealed component 20 with electromagnetic waves when creating the calibration curve.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a calibration curve. The transmittance of electromagnetic waves decreases as the amount of leakage increases and the amount of leaking substances present in the sealed space 23 increases. In FIG. 5, the determination unit 17 shows a determination threshold value used as a reference for the determination process. If the leakage amount is less than or equal to this threshold value, the sealed component 20 is a non-defective product, and if the leakage amount is greater than this threshold value, the sealed component 20 is determined as a defective product. In the example shown in FIG. 5, cm ³ is used as a unit of the leakage amount on the horizontal axis.

Next, a procedure for creating a calibration curve in the case of using water, which is a liquid as a leaking substance, in the sealed component 20 will be specifically described with reference to FIG.
First, a predetermined amount of water W <b> 1 is sealed in the sealed space 23, and the component upper portion 21 and the component lower portion 22 are joined by the joining portion 25. Then, the sealed component 20 is fixed to the component fixing portion 18, and the component fixing portion 18 is used to place the component upper portion 21 downward so that the enclosed water W <b> 1 does not overlap the electronic component 24. Air is contained in the sealed space 23.
Next, the irradiation unit 11, the detection unit 15, the pair of irradiation direction control unit 12, and the aperture unit 13 are set so that the range irradiated with the electromagnetic wave L includes all the water W <b> 1 enclosed in the sealed space 23. Set.
Next, the sealed part 20 is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave L from the irradiation unit 11, and the amount of transmission of the electromagnetic wave L that has passed through the sealed part 20 is measured.
Next, the above procedure is repeated and measured while changing the amount of water W1 sealed in the sealed space 23 to a plurality of levels.
Thereafter, a calibration curve is created from the measured data.

  Next, a procedure for creating a calibration curve in the case of using water as a liquid as a leaking substance in the sealed component 20 will be described with reference to FIG. When a small amount of water is present in the sealed space 23, for example, in the case of several drops of water, if the water drops are attached to a position hidden behind the electronic component 24, May not be measured well. In such a case, as will be described later, since the leak inspection is performed using the heating and cooling unit 19, a calibration curve corresponding to the leak inspection is created in advance.

When the amount of water W2 sealed in the sealed space 23 is small, first, in order to reliably measure the water W2 present in the sealed space 23, the water in the sealed space 23 is used by using the heating / cooling unit 19. Heat W2 to make it all steam. Thereafter, the portion of the sealed component 20 to which the electromagnetic wave L is irradiated is cooled using the heating and cooling unit 19 to change the water vapor into a liquid. In the example shown in FIG. 7A, the part on the tip side of the upper part 21 is cooled by the heating / cooling unit 19. Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the water vapor adheres in the form of water droplets to the inner wall of the upper part 21 having a low temperature.
Thereafter, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the sealed component 20 in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. Further, the amount of the water W2 sealed in the sealed space 23 is measured at a plurality of levels including the case where water is not sealed to obtain a calibration curve.

  And when actually inspecting the leakage of the sealed component 20, the method of irradiating the sealed component 20 with electromagnetic waves is performed in the same manner as when creating the calibration curve described above. That is, using the heating and cooling unit 19, the water inside the sealed space 23 is once converted into water vapor and then cooled to form water droplets.

  As described above, in the present apparatus 10, when the sealed component 20 is heated using the heating / cooling unit 19, the condensed space 23 is filled as water vapor with water condensed in a position hidden in the electronic component 24 in the sealed space 23. Therefore, even if the liquid state cannot be measured well, it is possible to inspect for leakage.

Next, a procedure for creating a calibration curve when water as a gas is used as the leaking substance in the sealed component 20 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the water in the sealed space 23 is heated using the heating / cooling unit 19 to convert all the water into water vapor W3. Next, in the state where the temperature of the sealed space 23 is maintained by the heating and cooling unit 19 so that the water in the sealed space 23 is the water vapor W3, the same as described with reference to FIG. Thus, the sealed component 20 is irradiated with electromagnetic waves. The amount of water sealed in the sealed space 23 is measured at a plurality of levels including the case where water is not sealed to obtain a calibration curve. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the sealing component 20 may have the upper part 21 facing upward.

  In the above description, the case where water as a gas is used as the leaking substance has been described. However, when the leaking substance that is a gas at normal temperature is used, the heating and cooling unit 19 is not used. A calibration curve can be created in the same manner as described above.

  Next, how the electromagnetic wave L is transmitted through the leaking substance when the sealed component 20 is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave L in the apparatus 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 described above.

In FIG. 6A, the amount of transmission of electromagnetic waves passing through the opening 13 a of the diaphragm 13 through the sealed space 23 is shown along the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23. Here, the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23 is a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave.
When water is not sealed in the sealed space 23, the amount of transmitted electromagnetic waves is constant in the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when water is sealed in the sealed space 23, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the electromagnetic wave is absorbed by the water in the portion where the water is present, and the transmission is made as compared with the portion where the water is not present. The amount is decreasing.

  As described above, in the present apparatus 1, the component fixing unit 18 is used to adjust the direction of the sealed component 20 so that the water in the sealed space 23 is not located in a place hidden behind the electronic component 24, thereby performing a leak test. It can be performed.

In the example shown in FIG. 6A, since the electromagnetic wave L is applied to the sealed component 20 from the entire opening 13a of the diaphragm 13, the electromagnetic wave L received by the detection unit 15 is transmitted through the water W1. It becomes the quantity which combined the part which does not permeate | transmit water W1.
On the other hand, if the irradiation direction control unit 12 or the diaphragm unit 13 reduces the range in which the electromagnetic wave L irradiates the sealed component 20 in a spot shape and scans and irradiates the sealed component 20, the water W1 existing in the sealed space 23 is obtained. Two-dimensional information can be obtained for the position of.

  In FIG. 7A, the amount of transmission of electromagnetic waves passing through the opening 13 a of the aperture 13 through the sealed space 23 is shown along the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23. When water is not sealed in the sealed space 23, the amount of transmitted electromagnetic waves is constant in the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the water droplet W2 is enclosed in the sealed space 23, as shown in FIG. 7B, the electromagnetic wave is absorbed by the water droplet W2 and the transmission amount is reduced. Since the water droplets W <b> 2 are attached to the inner wall of the sealed space 23 over the entire longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23, the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave L is constant in the longitudinal direction of the sealed space 23.

  As described above, in the apparatus 10, when the amount of water that is a leaking substance is small, the heating / cooling unit 19 and the component fixing unit 18 are used to position the water in the sealed space 23 where the electromagnetic wave L is irradiated. Thus, the leakage inspection of the sealed component 20 can be performed.

  In the present apparatus 1, the calibration curve described above is created using the amount of electromagnetic wave transmitted. On the other hand, depending on the forming material of the sealed part 20, the electromagnetic wave absorption rate may be high. In such a case, even if the amount of the leaking substance sealed in the sealed space 23 is changed, the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave is increased. The difference may be difficult. However, even if the electromagnetic wave transmittance of the forming material of the sealed part 20 is very small, the absorption coefficient of the electromagnetic wave of the leakage medium is large, and between the presence and absence of leakage or the leakage amount is large and the leakage amount is large. If there is a large difference in the amount of electromagnetic wave transmitted between the small and small, leakage can be detected.

  According to the apparatus 10 described above, in an environment where the sealed part 20 is actually used, the sealed part 20 enters from the outside to the inside of the sealed part 20 or is released from the inside of the sealed part 20 to the outside. It is possible to inspect non-destructive sealed parts using electromagnetic waves as leaking substances, and the inspection accuracy is high. Further, in an environment where the sealing part 20 is actually used, a pressure can be used in which a leaking substance enters from the outside of the sealing part toward the inside or is released from the inside of the sealing part toward the outside. Therefore, the inspection accuracy is further increased.

  Further, by condensing the electromagnetic wave L and scanning and irradiating the sealed part 20 for inspection, it is possible to specify a plurality of leaking points occurring in the sealed part.

  Further, the inspection cost can be reduced by using water or the like as the leaking substance.

  Further, according to the present apparatus 10, even when the sealed component 20 has a double structure and a leaking substance is sealed only in the inner sealed space, the leak test of the sealed component 20 is performed. be able to.

  Next, a leakage inspection apparatus for sealed parts according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. For points that are not particularly described in the second embodiment, the description in detail regarding the first embodiment is applied as appropriate. Moreover, in FIG. 9, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the leak inspection apparatus 10 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the present apparatus 10) of the second embodiment transmits an electromagnetic wave L having a wavelength that is transmitted through the forming material of the sealed component 20 and absorbed by the leaking substance. The irradiation unit 11 that irradiates the sealing component 20 and the detection unit 15 that detects the electromagnetic wave L reflected from the surface of the sealing component 20 and converts it into an electrical signal.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the irradiation unit 11 is driven by the irradiation unit driving device and faces obliquely downward, and irradiates the sealed component 20 with the electromagnetic wave L. On the other hand, the detection unit 15 is driven by the detection unit driving device and faces obliquely downward, and receives the electromagnetic wave L reflected from the surface of the sealed component 20. The irradiation direction or the reception direction is set so that the irradiation unit 11 and the detection unit 15 have the same inclination with respect to the vertical line C of the sealed component 20.

  Further, in the present apparatus 10, the electromagnetic wave L emitted from the irradiation unit 11 is collected on the surface of the sealed component 20 by one irradiation direction control unit 12. Then, the electromagnetic wave L reflected from the surface of the sealed component 20 is condensed on the detection unit 15 by the other irradiation direction control unit 12.

  In the present apparatus 10, since the electromagnetic wave L does not pass through the sealed component 20, the energy density of the electromagnetic wave L received by the detection unit 15 is high, so that the S / N ratio of the detection signal can be increased. In particular, it is preferable to collect the electromagnetic wave L to be irradiated and irradiate the sealed component 20 in order to improve the measurement resolution and further increase the S / N ratio of the detection signal.

  This apparatus 10 can be used, for example, when specifying the leak occurrence location on the surface of the sealed component 20. By scanning and irradiating the condensed electromagnetic wave L to the sealed component 20 using the irradiation unit driving device and the detection unit driving device or the component fixing unit 18, leakage substances present on the surface of the sealed component 20 are detected. Location information can be obtained.

  Here, the electromagnetic wave L includes a part that reflects from the surface of the sealed component 20 and a part that transmits from the surface and reflects from the inside of the vicinity of the surface. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave L reflected from the sealed component 20 can detect a leaking substance present on the surface of the sealed part 20 and a leaking substance present in the vicinity of the surface.

  In particular, there are many cases where the leakage of the sealed component 20 occurs at the joint 25. However, when the electromagnetic wave L is irradiated to the joint portion 25 from an oblique direction, the electromagnetic wave L is difficult to transmit. Therefore, the sealed component is more effective than the measurement of the electromagnetic wave L transmitted through the joint portion 25 of the sealed component 20. Measuring the electromagnetic wave L reflected by the surface of 20 is easier to measure the leaking substance because the intensity of the electromagnetic wave L measured by the detection unit 15 is larger.

A method for creating a calibration curve used in the calculation unit 16 of the apparatus 10 will be described below.
The calibration curve is obtained by placing a small amount of liquid or solid leaking material, for example, 1 cm ³ , on the stepped portion of the sealed component 20, for example, 1 cm ³ , and irradiating the electromagnetic wave L there. Measure the amount. Then, the calibration curve can be created by changing the amount of the leaking substance to a plurality of levels and repeating the above-described procedure.

According to the above-described leakage inspection apparatus of the apparatus 10, it is possible to measure the location where the leakage of the sealed component 20 is difficult to transmit the electromagnetic wave L. Moreover, since the reflected amount of the reflected electromagnetic wave L is large, the S / N ratio of the detection signal is high.
Moreover, it is suitable for the leak inspection of the joint portion 25 of the sealed component 20 where the possibility of leakage is high.

  Hereinafter, an example of the leakage inspection method for sealed parts of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10 based on a preferred first embodiment using the apparatus 10 of the first embodiment described above.

  First, a leak inspection method when a leaking substance enters from the outside to the inside of the sealed part 20 will be described below. In this embodiment, after performing the pre-process which makes a leakage substance penetrate | invade toward the inner side from the outer side of the sealing component 20, the electromagnetic wave is irradiated to the sealing component 20 and the presence or absence of the leak of the sealing component 20 is test | inspected.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the leakage inspection method of the present embodiment.
The present embodiment is a leakage inspection method for a sealed part for inspecting whether the sealed space 23 of the sealed part 20 having the sealed space 23 has a leak with respect to a predetermined substance. An electromagnetic wave L having a wavelength that is transmitted and absorbed by the leaking substance is irradiated onto the sealed component 20, and the electromagnetic wave L that has passed through the sealed part 20 is detected and converted into an electrical signal. And the quality of leakage of the sealed component 20 is determined using the leakage amount.
Moreover, this embodiment irradiates a terahertz wave as the electromagnetic wave L.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be further described.
First, in step S10, a leaking substance is pressurized and sealed in the sealed component 20. As the leaking substance, water that is a substance that enters from the outside to the inside of the sealed part 20 in an environment where the sealed part 20 is actually used is used. As the pressure for press-fitting water, the pressure at which a leaking substance enters from the outside to the inside of the sealed part in the environment where the sealed part 20 is actually used or the pressure resistance of the sealed part 20 is used. For example, the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 can be used as an apparatus for press-fitting water into the sealed component 20.

  Next, in step S <b> 11, water that is a leaking substance attached to the outer surface of the sealed component 20 is dried. If the leaking substance cannot be removed from the outer surface of the sealed part 20 even after drying, the outer surface of the sealed part 20 is washed to remove the leaked substance.

  Next, in step S <b> 12, the irradiation unit 11 transmits the terahertz wave, which is the electromagnetic wave L having a wavelength that is transmitted through the resin that is a forming material of the sealed part 20 and is absorbed by water that is a leaking substance, to the sealed part 20. Irradiate.

  Next, in step S <b> 13, the detection unit 15 detects the electromagnetic wave L that has passed through the sealed component 20, converts it to a voltage value that is an electrical signal, and outputs this voltage value to the calculation unit 16.

  Next, in step S <b> 14, the calculation unit 16 calculates and determines the leakage amount of the leakage substance from the voltage value. The calculating part 16 calculates | requires leak amount, for example using the calibration curve shown in FIG. Since the calculation unit 16 receives the transmission amount of the electromagnetic wave L from the detection unit 15 as a voltage value, the calculation unit 16 obtains the value on the horizontal axis corresponding to the voltage value as the leakage amount. If there is no leak in the inspected sealed part 20, the amount of leak is zero.

  Thereafter, in step S15, the determination unit 17 uses the leakage amount to compare the predetermined threshold value to determine whether the sealed component 20 is good or not, and whether the sealed component 20 is a good product. Or it is judged whether it is inferior goods.

  In addition, S10 and S11 may be abbreviate | omitted when the leaking substance is enclosed in the sealed space 23 at the time of manufacture of the sealed component 20. FIG.

  Next, a second embodiment of the leakage inspection method, which is a case where a leakage substance is released from the inside to the outside of the sealed component 20, will be described below.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the leakage inspection method of the present embodiment.
First, in the same manner as S10 to S14 described above, in steps S20 to S24, the sealed component 20 in which water as a leaking substance was press-fitted into the sealed space 23 was irradiated 1 with the electromagnetic wave L and transmitted through the sealed component 20. The calculation unit 16 obtains the transmission amount A of the electromagnetic wave L.

  Next, in step S25, the decompression process of the sealed component 20 is performed. For example, the sealed component 20 is put in a vacuum container 601 shown in FIG. 15, and the inside of the vacuum container 602 is depressurized by the exhaust device 603. If the sealed part 20 has a leak, the water in the sealed space 23 is discharged from the inside to the outside of the sealed part 20 under this reduced pressure. Decrease. Thereafter, the outer surface of the sealing part 20 may be dried or washed.

  Next, in step S26 to step S28, similarly to S22 to S24 described above, the sealed component 20 after the decompression process is irradiated 2 with the electromagnetic wave L, and the transmission amount B of the electromagnetic wave L transmitted through the sealed component 20 is set. Obtained by the calculation unit 16.

  Next, in step S <b> 29, the calculation unit 16 subtracts the transmission amount B from the transmission amount A of the electromagnetic wave L to obtain a difference in transmission amount before and after the pressure reducing process of the sealed component 20.

  Next, in step S <b> 30, the calculation unit 16 obtains the leakage amount of the leakage substance released from the inside to the outside of the sealed component 20 from the difference in the transmission amount.

  Here, for example, the calibration curve shown in FIG. 12 can be used. In the calibration curve shown in FIG. 12, the vertical axis represents the difference in transmission amount, and the horizontal axis represents the leakage amount corresponding to the difference in transmission amount. The calibration curve shown in FIG. 12 can be created using, for example, the calibration curve shown in FIG. Specifically, two different transmission amount values on the vertical axis in FIG. 5 and the corresponding leakage amount on the horizontal axis are read to obtain a set of data consisting of the difference in transmission amount and the difference in leakage amount. . The same procedure is repeated to obtain a plurality of sets of data consisting of a difference in transmission amount and a difference in leakage amount. Then, these data are plotted on a graph and the plots are connected to each other as shown in FIG. A calibration curve as shown is obtained.

  Then, in step 31, the determination part 17 determines the quality of the leak of the sealing component 20 from the difference in permeation amount. As shown in FIG. 12, the determination unit 17 determines that the sealed component 20 is a non-defective product when the sealed component 20 does not have a leak or the leak amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Is higher than the threshold value, it is determined that the sealed component 20 is defective.

  In this embodiment, when the leaking substance water is sealed in the sealed part 20 in S20, the leaking substance may be sealed at atmospheric pressure without using the pressurizing device. Even if the leaking substance is sealed at atmospheric pressure, the sealed part 20 is decompressed in S25. Therefore, if the sealed part 20 has a leak, the leaked substance in the sealed space 23 is released from the inside of the sealed part 20. Released outward.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sealed component 20 may be irradiated with the electromagnetic wave L after the leaking substance in the sealed space is heated or cooled as necessary. Moreover, it is preferable to irradiate the sealed component 20 with the electromagnetic wave L after appropriately adjusting the irradiation range of the electromagnetic wave L.

The leak inspection apparatus and the inspection method for a sealed part of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment or embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, the sealed part 20 to be measured in the above-described embodiment of the present invention is a part mounted on a car. However, the sealed part to be measured by the apparatus 10 is formed of a material that can transmit electromagnetic waves. If the leaking substance can absorb electromagnetic waves, the material for forming the sealed part 20 or the leaking substance may be other.

  In the second embodiment described above, only the sealed component 20 is decompressed. However, the entire apparatus 10 is disposed in the decompression chamber, and the electromagnetic wave L is applied to the sealed component 20 while reducing the pressure in the chamber. Irradiation may be performed to check for leakage of the sealed part 20.

  The requirements in one embodiment or embodiment described above can be interchanged between the embodiments or between the embodiments as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a leak inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a perspective view of the hermetic component of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing other forms of the throttle portion. FIG. 4 is a view showing a pressurizing device that pressurizes and injects water into a sealed container. FIG. 5 is an example of a calibration curve. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which water in the sealed space is measured. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a small amount of water in the sealed container is measured. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which water vapor in the sealed container is measured. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a leak inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a leakage inspection method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a leakage inspection method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is another example of the calibration curve. FIG. 13 is a view showing a leak inspection apparatus according to a conventional example, and shows an apparatus for injecting helium gas into a sealed part. FIG. 14 is a view showing a leak inspection apparatus according to a conventional example, and shows an apparatus for detecting helium gas leaking from a sealed container. FIG. 15 shows another apparatus for detecting helium gas leaking from a sealed container according to a conventional example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Sealed component leak inspection apparatus 11 Irradiation part 12 Irradiation direction control part 13 Aperture part 15 Detection part 16 Calculation part 17 Judgment part 18 Component fixing part 19 Heating / cooling part 20 Sealed part 21 Upper part 22 Parts lower part 23 Sealed space 24 Electronic parts 25 joints

Claims (15)

A sealed part leak testing apparatus for testing whether the sealed space (23) of the sealed part (20) having the sealed space (23) has a leak with respect to a predetermined substance,
An irradiation part (11) for irradiating the sealing part (20) with an electromagnetic wave (L) having a wavelength that passes through the forming material of the sealing part (20) and is absorbed by the substance;
A detection unit (15) that detects the electromagnetic wave (L) that has passed through the sealing component (20) or reflected from the surface of the sealing component (20) and converts it into an electrical signal;
A calculation unit (16) for calculating a leakage amount of the substance from the electrical signal;
A determination unit (17) that determines the quality of leakage of the sealed component (20) using the leakage amount;
A leakage inspection device for sealed parts, comprising:   The leak test apparatus for a sealed part according to claim 1, wherein the sealed part (20) is the sealed part (20) in which the substance is sealed.   2. The leak inspection device for a sealed part according to claim 1, wherein the sealed part (20) has been subjected to a press-fitting treatment of the substance. 3.   The said electromagnetic wave (L) is a terahertz wave, The leak test | inspection apparatus of the sealed components as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   5. The leak inspection of sealed parts according to claim 1, further comprising a heating / cooling unit (19) for heating or cooling the substance in the sealed space (23). apparatus.   It has an irradiation direction control part (12) which controls the irradiation direction of the electromagnetic wave (L) irradiated to the sealing part (20), The statement according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized by things. Seal inspection device for sealed parts.   The sealed component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a diaphragm (13) for adjusting an irradiation range in which the electromagnetic wave (L) is irradiated to the sealed component (20). Leak inspection device.   A component fixing portion (18) for fixing the sealing component (20) is provided, and the component fixing portion (18) rotates or translates the sealing component (20). Item 9. The leak inspection device for sealed parts according to any one of Items 1 to 7.   The substance is the same as the substance that leaks from the outside to the inside of the sealing part (20) or from the inside to the outside in a situation where the sealing part (20) is actually used. The leak inspection apparatus for hermetic parts according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: A method for inspecting a leakage of a sealed part for inspecting whether the sealed space (23) of the sealed part (20) having the sealed space (23) has a leak with respect to a predetermined substance,
Irradiating the sealing component (20) with an electromagnetic wave (L) having a wavelength that passes through the forming material of the sealing component (20) and is absorbed by the substance,
The electromagnetic wave (L) transmitted through the sealing component (20) or reflected from the surface of the sealing component (20) is detected and converted into an electrical signal,
Calculate the amount of leakage of the substance from the electrical signal,
Using the leakage amount, the quality of leakage of the sealed part (20) is determined.
A method for inspecting leaks of sealed parts characterized by the above.   The method of inspecting leakage of a sealed part according to claim 10, wherein the sealed part (20) is the sealed space (23) in which the substance is sealed.   11. The method for inspecting leakage of a sealed part according to claim 10, wherein the sealed part (20) is subjected to a press-fitting treatment of the substance.   The leak test method for sealed parts according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electromagnetic wave (L) is a terahertz wave.   The method for inspecting leakage of a sealed part according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the substance in the sealed space (23) is heated or cooled to irradiate the electromagnetic wave (L). .   The leakage of the sealed part according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the sealed part (20) is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave (L) after adjusting an irradiation range of the electromagnetic wave (L). Inspection method.

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