JP2019200096A - Imaging inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an imaging inspection device that makes it possible to improve accuracy of an imaging inspection by a sheet piece.SOLUTION: An imaging inspection device comprises: a conveyance mechanism that has a conveyance belt having a plurality of through-holes formed from an exterior surface to an interior surface, moves the conveyance belt so that the exterior surface moves in a conveyance direction, and thereby conveys a sheet piece of which one front surface abuts with the exterior surface in the conveyance direction; a suction mechanism that has a suction surface facing the interior surface and a plurality of grooves to be formed in the suction surface along the conveyance direction or a direction forming an acute angle with respect to the conveyance direction, sucks the one front surface via the plurality of through-holes from the plurality of grooves and thereby causes the sheet piece to be sucked to the exterior surface; and an imaging mechanism that photographs other front surface of the sheet piece sucked to the exterior surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image inspection apparatus.

  Conventionally, a conveying belt having a plurality of through holes formed on the conveying surface, an adsorbing portion for adsorbing an object to be conveyed, one surface of which is in contact with the conveying surface, to the conveying surface through the through hole, and the other of the objects to be conveyed A technique for performing image inspection using an apparatus including an imaging unit that images a surface is known.

JP 2017-1111864 A

  However, since the conveying surface moves in the conveying direction, it is difficult to adsorb the object to be conveyed to the conveying surface through the through hole unless the shape of the suction portion located on the back side of the conveying surface is appropriate. In particular, when the object to be conveyed is a thin and light sheet piece, if the suction is not sufficient, the sheet piece may be lifted, and the accuracy of the image inspection of the sheet piece may be lowered.

  Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an image inspection apparatus capable of improving the accuracy of image inspection of a sheet piece.

This disclosure
A plurality of through-holes having a conveying belt formed from an outer surface to an inner surface, and moving the conveying belt so that the outer surface moves in the conveying direction, thereby conveying the sheet piece whose one surface is in contact with the outer surface; A transport mechanism for transporting in the direction;
A suction surface facing the inner surface, and a plurality of grooves formed in the suction surface along the transport direction or a direction that forms an acute angle with respect to the transport direction, and the plurality of through holes from the plurality of grooves. An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the sheet piece to the outer surface by sucking the one surface through a hole;
An image inspection apparatus comprising: an imaging mechanism that images the other surface of the sheet piece adsorbed on the outer surface.

In addition, this disclosure
A plurality of through-holes having a conveying belt formed from an outer surface to an inner surface, and moving the conveying belt so that the outer surface moves in the conveying direction, thereby conveying the sheet piece whose one surface is in contact with the outer surface; A transport mechanism for transporting in the direction;
The suction surface facing the inner surface and a plurality of grooves formed in the suction surface along the transport direction, and sucking the one surface from the plurality of grooves through the plurality of through holes An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the sheet piece to the outer surface;
An imaging mechanism that images the other surface of the sheet piece adsorbed on the outer surface;
The length of the said each groove | channel of the said conveyance direction is the image inspection apparatus which is longer than the length of the said conveyance direction of the said sheet piece.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of image inspection of a sheet piece.

It is a figure showing typically an example of composition of an image inspection device of an embodiment concerning this indication. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of a some sheet piece, a some groove | channel, and a some through-hole. It is a top view which shows the structural example of a conveyance belt partially. It is a top view which shows the structural example of an adsorption | suction mechanism. It is a side view which shows the structural example of an adsorption | suction mechanism. It is a front view which shows the structural example of an adsorption | suction mechanism. It is a top view which shows the 2nd shape example of the some groove | channel formed in an adsorption | suction mechanism. It is a top view which shows the 3rd example of a shape of the some groove | channel formed in an adsorption | suction mechanism. It is a top view which shows the 4th example of a shape of the some groove | channel formed in an adsorption | suction mechanism.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis are orthogonal to each other. The X axis direction, the Y axis direction, and the Z axis direction represent a direction parallel to the X axis, a direction parallel to the Y axis, and a direction parallel to the Z axis, respectively. The XY plane, the YZ plane, and the ZX plane represent a plane including the X axis and the Y axis, a plane including the Y axis and the Z axis, and a plane including the Z axis and the X axis, respectively.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration example of an image inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An image inspection apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that performs image inspection on a sheet piece 80 that is a conveyance object conveyed by the conveyance belt 23 one by one. The image inspection of the sheet piece 80 is converted into imaging data by the imaging mechanism 50. Based on. The sheet piece 80 is, for example, a thin piece made of cloth or paper, and more specifically, a label on which characters, symbols, pictures, and the like are printed.

  For example, the image inspection apparatus 100 performs image inspection on the printing state of characters or the like printed on the sheet piece 80 based on the imaging data of the sheet piece 80 by the imaging mechanism 50. The image inspection apparatus 100 may perform an image inspection on the outer dimensions of the sheet piece 80 based on the imaging data of the sheet piece 80 by the imaging mechanism 50.

  The image inspection apparatus 100 includes, for example, a printer 10, a transport mechanism 20, a suction mechanism 30, a negative pressure mechanism 40, an imaging mechanism 50, a payout mechanism 60, and a control device 70.

  The printer 10 is a device that prints characters and the like on a surface 81 of a sheet piece 80 that is a printing medium. Sheet pieces 80 printed on the front surface 81 by the printer 10 are sent out one by one onto the outer surface 24 of the conveyor belt 23.

  The transport mechanism 20 moves the transport belt 23 so that the outer surface 24 moves in the transport direction (in the illustrated case, the positive side in the X-axis direction), so that the sheet piece 80 whose one surface 82 is in contact with the outer surface 24 Transport in the transport direction. The transport mechanism 20 includes, for example, a transport belt 23 and a plurality of pulleys 21 and 22.

  The conveyance belt 23 is a belt-like member that conveys the sheet piece 80 in the conveyance direction. In the illustrated form, the conveyance belt 23 is an endless belt that is wound around a plurality of pulleys 21 and 22 that are arranged apart from each other in the conveyance direction. The conveyor belt 23 is interlocked with the rotation of each of the plurality of pulleys 21 and 22. As the plurality of pulleys 21 and 22 rotate, the conveying belt 23 rotates, so that the outer surface 24 of the conveying belt 23 moves in the conveying direction. The rotation of each of the plurality of pulleys 21 and 22 is controlled by a drive unit (not shown) that operates based on a drive signal from the control device 70.

  The conveyor belt 23 includes an outer surface 24, an inner surface 25 opposite to the outer surface 24, and a plurality of through holes 26 formed from the outer surface 24 to the inner surface 25. The outer surface 24 is a conveyance surface with which one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 abuts. The inner surface 25 faces the suction surface 35 of the suction mechanism 30 so as to be contactable. Each of the plurality of through holes 26 penetrates between the outer surface 24 and the inner surface 25.

  As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the plurality of through holes 26 are provided at equal intervals in the transport direction (X-axis direction in the case of FIG. 2) and the direction orthogonal to the transport direction (Y-axis direction in the case of FIG. 2). ing. In the case of FIG. 2, the plurality of through holes 26 include two through hole rows 26A and 26B arranged in the transport direction. The two through-hole rows 26A and 26B are arranged at intervals in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  The shape of the through hole 26 may be a circle, or may be another shape such as an ellipse or a polygon. Further, the size and number of the through holes 26 are not limited to this example. Further, the pitch of the through holes 26 may not be equal.

  The suction mechanism 30 sucks the sheet piece 80 by sucking one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 from the plurality of grooves (two grooves 31 and 32 in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2) through the plurality of through holes 26. Adsorbed on the outer surface 24. The outer shape of the illustrated suction mechanism 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but may be another shape. The suction mechanism 30 includes, for example, a suction surface 35, a plurality of grooves 31 and 32, and a duct 34.

  The suction surface 35 is an outer surface facing the inner surface 25 of the conveyance belt 23. The suction surface 35 faces the inner surface 25 so as to be slidable. The plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are long holes formed in the suction surface 35 along the transport direction.

  The duct 34 is a vent pipe that communicates with the plurality of grooves 31 and 32, and is provided in the suction mechanism 30 so as to extend in the Y-axis direction. One end of the duct 34 on the negative side in the Y-axis direction is a dead end. A negative pressure mechanism 40 is connected to the other end of the duct 34 on the positive side in the Y-axis direction.

  The negative pressure mechanism 40 sucks one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 from the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 through the plurality of through holes 26 by setting the inside of the duct 34 to a negative pressure by a vacuum pump or the like. As one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 is sucked in this way, the sheet piece 80 is attracted to the outer surface 24 of the transport belt 23. The negative pressure mechanism 40 that controls the suction of the sheet piece 80 by the suction mechanism 30 generates a negative pressure in accordance with the suction control signal from the control device 70.

  The imaging mechanism 50 images the other surface 81 of the sheet piece 80 adsorbed on the outer surface 24 of the conveyor belt 23 and outputs the imaging data to the control device 70. The imaging mechanism 50 images the surface 81 of the sheet piece 80 located within the imaging range 51. The imaging mechanism 50 is, for example, a camera equipped with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), but is not limited thereto.

  The control device 70 performs image inspection on the surface 81 of the sheet piece 80 based on the imaging data from the imaging mechanism 50. For example, the control device 70 performs an image inspection on a printing state of characters or the like printed on the surface 81 based on imaging data obtained by the imaging mechanism 50 imaging the surface 81.

  For example, the control device 70 performs image processing on the imaging data to generate an image including the surface 81, and performs processing such as comparison of the generated image with a reference image of a good product, thereby the surface 81 of the sheet piece 80. It is determined whether or not signs such as characters are printed correctly. The control device 70 determines that the sheet piece 80 on which the character or the like is correctly printed on the front surface 81 is a non-defective product, and determines that the sheet piece 80 on which the character or the like is not correctly printed on the front surface 81 is a defective product.

  For example, the control device 70 moves the conveyance belt 23 so that the outer surface 24 moves in the conveyance direction, and stops the rotation of each of the plurality of pulleys 21 and 22 at the timing when the sheet piece 80 is positioned in the imaging range 51. As a result, the conveyor belt 23 is stopped. The control device 70 obtains imaging data captured from the imaging mechanism 50 in a state where the sheet piece 80 is located in the imaging range 51 and the conveying belt 23 is stopped, thereby including a still image including the surface 81 of the sheet piece 80. Can be generated. The control device 70 can inspect the surface 81 with high accuracy by performing image inspection using a still image including the surface 81. After acquiring the imaging data for generating a still image from the imaging mechanism 50, the control device 70 moves the conveyance belt 23 again so that the outer surface 24 moves in the conveyance direction. As described above, the control device 70 repeats the operation and stop of the conveyance belt 23, and performs image inspection using still images using the imaging data captured in a state where the conveyance belt 23 is stopped, thereby a plurality of sheets. Image inspection can be performed for each piece 80 with high accuracy.

  The payout mechanism 60 sorts the sheet pieces 80 sequentially conveyed by the conveying belt 23 into a non-defective product or a defective product according to the result of the quality determination by the control device 70. Then, the payout mechanism 60 pays out the sheet piece 80 determined to be non-defective to the non-defective container, and pays out the sheet piece 80 determined to be defective to the defective container.

  Note that each function of the control device 70 is realized by, for example, the processor operating according to a program stored in a readable manner in a memory. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the image inspection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of grooves 31 and 32 for sucking one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 through the plurality of through holes 26 are formed on the suction surface 35 along the conveyance direction. . Since the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are thus formed long in the transport direction, even if the outer surface 24 that is the transport surface moves in the transport direction, the plurality of through-holes 26 formed in the outer surface 24 are the plurality of grooves. It becomes easy to overlap with 31 and 32. Thereby, the time and opportunity to suck the one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 from the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 through the plurality of through holes 26 to the outer surface 24 can be easily increased. Can be sufficiently adsorbed on the substrate. As a result, the sheet piece 80 can be lifted from the outer surface 24, the positional deviation of the sheet piece 80 with respect to the outer surface 24, the deformation of the sheet piece 80, etc. can be suppressed, and the image inspection accuracy of the sheet piece 80 can be improved. Is possible.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 formed so that the transport direction is the longitudinal direction overlap with the plurality of through holes 26 in a state where the transport belt 23 is stopped. Preferably it is formed. Thereby, even if the outer surface 24 which is a conveyance surface moves to a conveyance direction, respectively, the some groove | channels 31 and 32 become easy to overlap with the several through-hole 26 formed in the outer surface 24. FIG. Therefore, the sheet piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24, and the accuracy of image inspection of the sheet piece 80 can be improved. The plurality of through holes overlapping with the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are preferably adjacent to each other in that the sheet piece 80 is sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24.

  In addition, duplication means the duplication in planar view of the penetration direction of a through-hole (in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2, Z-axis direction). In addition, the term “overlap” may mean that all overlap or partly overlap.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the length L21 in the conveyance direction in the range where the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are formed is preferably longer than the length L80 in the conveyance direction of one sheet piece 80. Thereby, even when the conveying belt 23 is moved so that the outer surface 24 moves in the conveying direction, the plurality of through holes 26 formed in the outer surface 24 easily overlap with the plurality of grooves 31 and 32. Accordingly, the time and opportunity for sucking the one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 to the outer surface 24 from the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 through the plurality of through holes 26 can be easily increased even during the conveyance. The piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24. As a result, it is possible to prevent the position of the sheet piece 80 from being shifted during the conveyance, and it is possible to improve the accuracy of the image inspection of the sheet piece 80.

  In addition, when the length L21 in the conveyance direction in the range where the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are formed is longer than the length L80 in the conveyance direction of one sheet piece 80, the conveyance belt 23 is stopped. The pair of edge portions 83 and 84 of the sheet piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed. A pair of edge parts 83 and 84 are the parts which oppose in the direction (in the case of FIG. 2, X-axis direction) parallel to a conveyance direction. Therefore, the lift of the pair of edge portions 83 and 84 can be suppressed in a state where the transport belt 23 is stopped, and an image inspection using a still image can be performed with high accuracy.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the width L22 of the range in which the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are formed (in the case of FIG. 2, the width in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the transport direction) is the width of one sheet piece 80. It is preferably shorter than the width L81 (in the case of FIG. 2, the width in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the transport direction). This makes it difficult for the pair of edge portions 85 and 86 of the sheet piece 80 to be sucked into the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 extending in substantially the same direction as the pair of edge portions 85 and 86. A pair of edge parts 85 and 86 are the parts which oppose in the direction (in the case of FIG. 2, Y-axis direction) orthogonal to a conveyance direction. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the pair of edge portions 85 and 86 from being sucked into the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 in a state in which the conveyance belt 23 is stopped, and to accurately perform an image inspection using a still image. Is possible.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are preferably wider than the hole diameter φA of the through hole 26. Accordingly, the plurality of grooves 31 and 32 are likely to overlap with the through hole 26, respectively. Therefore, the sheet piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24, and the accuracy of image inspection of the sheet piece 80 can be improved.

  Further, the parallel number of the plurality of through holes 26 formed in the transport belt 23 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which the parallel number is three. The plurality of through holes 26 formed in the transport belt 23 shown in FIG. 3 includes three through hole rows 26A, 26B, and 26C arranged in the transport direction.

  4, 5 and 6 show the external configuration of the suction mechanism 30A having three grooves 31, 32 and 33 formed so as to overlap the three through-hole rows 26A, 26B and 26C, respectively. The suction mechanism 30 </ b> A has the same function as the above-described suction mechanism 30. 4, 5 and 6 show a plan view, a side view and a front view, respectively. The suction mechanism 30A has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the length in the X-axis direction is L1, the width in the Y-axis direction is L2, and the height in the Z-axis direction is L3.

  The three grooves 31, 32, 33 are openings formed in the suction surface 35. The groove 31 is formed so as to overlap with the through-hole row 26A (see FIG. 3), the groove 32 is formed so as to overlap with the through-hole row 26B (see FIG. 3), and the groove 33 is formed through the through-hole row 26C. (See FIG. 3).

  The length L11 in the conveyance direction of each of the plurality of grooves 31, 32, 33 is longer than the length L80 in the conveyance direction of the sheet piece 80. Thereby, even if the outer surface 24 which is a conveyance surface moves to a conveyance direction, the some groove | channels 31, 32, and 33 become easy to overlap with the several through-hole 26 formed in the outer surface 24, respectively. Therefore, the sheet piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24, and the accuracy of image inspection of the sheet piece 80 can be improved.

  The width L12 of each of the plurality of grooves 31, 32, 33 is preferably wider than the hole diameter φA of the through hole 26. As a result, the plurality of grooves 31, 32, and 33 are likely to overlap with the through hole 26. Therefore, the sheet piece 80 can be sufficiently adsorbed to the outer surface 24, and the accuracy of image inspection of the sheet piece 80 can be improved.

  The suction surface 35 has a contact portion 35 a sandwiched between the groove 31 and the groove 33 and a contact portion 35 b sandwiched between the groove 32 and the groove 33. The contact portions 35a and 35b are portions that are slidably in contact with the inner surface 25 of the transport belt 23. Since the contact portions 35a and 35b support the inner surface 25, the movement of the conveying belt 23 that moves the outer surface 24 in the conveying direction can be stabilized.

  Further, the suction surface 35 may have a pair of chamfered portions 36 and 37 that are located apart from each other in a direction parallel to the transport direction (in the case of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the X-axis direction). The chamfered portions 36 and 37 are portions where the corner portions of the suction mechanism 30A are chamfered into a curved surface or a flat surface. Since the chamfered portions 36 and 37 are formed, the inner surface 25 of the conveyor belt 23 is not easily caught by the corners of the suction mechanism, and therefore the inner surface 25 can be smoothly slid onto the suction surface 35 (FIG. 1). reference).

  The portion of the inner surface 25 that is not in contact with the suction surface 35 may be the same height as the suction surface 35 as shown in FIG. 1 or may be lower than the suction surface 35.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a second shape example of the plurality of grooves formed in the suction mechanism. The suction mechanism 30B shown in FIG. 7 has the same function as the suction mechanism 30 described above. The suction mechanism 30 </ b> B has a plurality of grooves 131 formed in the suction surface 35 along a direction (hereinafter also referred to as “oblique direction”) that forms an acute angle with respect to the transport direction. Since the plurality of grooves 131 for sucking the one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 through the plurality of through holes 26 are formed in the oblique direction in this way, the outer surface 24 which is the conveyance surface moves in the conveyance direction. In addition, the plurality of through holes 26 formed in the outer surface 24 easily overlap with the plurality of grooves 131. Thereby, the time and opportunity to suck one surface 82 of the sheet piece 80 from the plurality of grooves 131 through the plurality of through holes 26 to the outer surface 24 can be easily increased. It becomes possible to make it adsorb to. As a result, the sheet piece 80 can be lifted from the outer surface 24, the positional deviation of the sheet piece 80 with respect to the outer surface 24, the deformation of the sheet piece 80, etc. can be suppressed, and the image inspection accuracy of the sheet piece 80 can be improved. Is possible.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a third shape example of the plurality of grooves formed in the suction mechanism. The suction mechanism 30 </ b> C illustrated in FIG. 8 has the same function as the above-described suction mechanism 30. The suction mechanism 30B has a plurality of grooves 231 formed in the suction surface 35 along the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of grooves 231 formed linearly along the transport direction may be divided into a plurality of small grooves in the transport direction.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a fourth shape example of the plurality of grooves formed in the suction mechanism. The suction mechanism 30 </ b> D illustrated in FIG. 9 has the same function as the above-described suction mechanism 30. The suction mechanism 30D has a plurality of grooves 331 and 332 formed on the suction surface 35 along the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of grooves 333, 334, and 335 that communicate the plurality of grooves 331 and 332 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction may be formed on the suction surface 35.

  The image inspection apparatus has been described above by way of the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements such as combinations and substitutions with some or all of the other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printer 20 Conveying mechanism 21,22 Pulley 23 Conveying belt 24 Outer surface 25 Inner surface 26 Through-hole 30,30A, 30B, 30C, 30D Suction mechanism 31,32,33 Groove 34 Duct 35 Suction surface 36,37 Chamfer 40 Negative pressure mechanism DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 Imaging mechanism 51 Imaging range 60 Discharge mechanism 70 Control apparatus 80 Sheet piece 81 The other surface 82 One surface 100 Image inspection apparatus

Claims (6)

A plurality of through-holes having a conveying belt formed from an outer surface to an inner surface, and moving the conveying belt so that the outer surface moves in the conveying direction, thereby conveying the sheet piece whose one surface is in contact with the outer surface; A transport mechanism for transporting in the direction;
A suction surface facing the inner surface, and a plurality of grooves formed in the suction surface along the transport direction or a direction that forms an acute angle with respect to the transport direction, and the plurality of through holes from the plurality of grooves. An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the sheet piece to the outer surface by sucking the one surface through a hole;
An image inspection apparatus comprising: an imaging mechanism that images the other surface of the sheet piece adsorbed on the outer surface.   The image inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length in the conveyance direction of a range where the plurality of grooves is formed is longer than a length of the sheet piece in the conveyance direction. A plurality of through-holes having a conveying belt formed from an outer surface to an inner surface, and moving the conveying belt so that the outer surface moves in the conveying direction, thereby conveying the sheet piece whose one surface is in contact with the outer surface; A transport mechanism for transporting in the direction;
The suction surface facing the inner surface and a plurality of grooves formed in the suction surface along the transport direction, and sucking the one surface from the plurality of grooves through the plurality of through holes An adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the sheet piece to the outer surface;
An imaging mechanism that images the other surface of the sheet piece adsorbed on the outer surface;
The length of the plurality of grooves in the conveyance direction is longer than the length of the sheet piece in the conveyance direction.   4. The image inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of a range in which the plurality of grooves is formed is shorter than a width of the sheet piece. 5.   5. The image inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of grooves overlaps with the plurality of through holes in a state where the conveyance belt is stopped. 6.   6. The image inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of grooves is wider than a diameter of the through hole.

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