JP2586781Y2 - Fiber end face inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting the state, shape, and the like of an end of a fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An optical fiber bundle used for optical equipment, optical communication and the like is formed by bundling a predetermined number of fibers cut to a length of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters, and then stretching the fiber to a thin and long length in an elongation step. ing. However, if there is a defect in the end portion or the end surface when the fiber is cut, an abnormality occurs in the portion in the elongation step, so that the end portion cannot be used in many cases.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems. A fiber end face inspection apparatus capable of improving the productivity by realizing the inspection of the end face shape of the fiber by a simple process. The purpose is to provide.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE devised the present invention in order to achieve this goal, the place
Direction of fiber cut to fixed length perpendicular to transport direction
Transport means for transporting by
Above the transport path through which both ends of the fiber pass
Around the two ends of the fiber.
Imaging means for imaging from a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction;
Images near both ends of the fiber taken by each imaging means
An image that determines whether the fiber is good or bad based on the image data.
Image processing means and non-defective fiber based on the discrimination result
And a sorting means for sorting out defective fibers .

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a main part of an embodiment of the inspection apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment as viewed from the direction of a transfer end position, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment. The inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a transport device 31 that transports the optical fiber 11 cut by a cutter (not shown) to a fiber sorting unit 41, a transport end position of the transport device 31, and a sorting unit 4.
1 and a pair of CCD cameras 51A and 51B as imaging means for converting the shape of both ends of the fiber 11 into image data. Each transport device 3 described above
1. The sorting unit 41 and the CCD camera 51 are mounted on the base 23 supported by the legs 21.

The conveying device 31 includes an endless conveying belt 33.
And a transport rib 35 fixed at a predetermined interval on the transport belt 33 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The transport belt 33 is circulated clockwise in FIG. 1 by a drive motor (not shown). That is, the fiber 11 that has dropped onto the transport belt 33 abuts on the transport rib 35 and is transported to the sorting unit 41 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Although not shown, guide plates for positioning the fiber 11 and preventing the fiber 11 from dropping are provided on both outer sides of the transport belt 33.

The sorting section 41 includes an inclined guide section 47 for receiving the fiber 11 transported by the transport belt 33, a stopper 45 for stopping the fiber 11 at an inspection position in the middle of the inclined guide section 47, and a fiber 11 for which inspection has been completed. A fiber alignment tray 49 for alignment is provided. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the fibers 11 determined to be defective by the inspection by the sorting machine are dropped onto a defective tray.

The CCD camera 51 includes an imaging lens and a C
This is a video camera equipped with a CD area sensor, and two (51)
A, 51B). The CCD camera 51 has a fiber 11 direction (up and down direction) and a fiber 1
1 transport direction (front-back direction), and fiber 1
1 is supported by a position adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the position in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction orthogonal to the transport direction). Since the position adjustment mechanism is the same or symmetrical on the left and right sides, only one of them will be described.

A focus adjustment plate 52 to which the CCD camera 51A is fixed is provided with an adjustment substrate 53 so that the position in the vertical direction can be adjusted.
It is attached to. The adjustment board 53 is mounted on a horizontal position adjustment plate 54 capable of horizontal position adjustment, and the horizontal position adjustment plate 54 is mounted on a front-rear position adjustment plate 55 capable of front-rear position adjustment. The front / rear position adjustment plate 55 is bridged between camera support side plates 57 fixed to both side surfaces of the base 23, and is mounted on a horizontal support plate 56 fixed to the camera support side plate 57 so that the position in the front / rear direction can be adjusted. . Each adjustment plate 52, 5
Position adjustment of 4, 55 is realized by a pair of parallel guide grooves formed in the respective adjustment plates and extending in the adjustment direction, and adjustment screws that pass through the guide grooves and are screwed into the mounting plate. The camera support side plate 57 is provided with the clamp 25,
And it is fixed to the base 23 by the positioning metal fitting 26.

An end face of the illumination fiber bundle 58 is disposed at a position facing the end face of the fiber 11 held at the inspection position. The illumination fiber bundle 58 illuminates the end face of the fiber 11 with illumination light guided from an LCB light source (not shown). Unnecessary reflected light is applied between the CCD camera 51 and the illumination fiber bundle 58 by the CCD.
A light shielding plate 59 for shielding light so as not to enter the camera 51 is provided.

The image data captured by the CCD camera 51 is
The image is processed by the image processing device 61. Note that the CCD camera 5
The end face image of the fiber 11 captured by the
Appears as shown at 3A, 63B. Image processing device 61
Calculates the area of a high-luminance portion in an image based on this image data, and determines a non-defective product or a defective product based on the size of the area. In other words, a non-defective fiber does not cause irregular reflection of illumination light, so that there is no high-luminance part.However, if the end face is missing or a notch is attached to the end, irregular reflection of illumination light occurs, and The area of the high-luminance portion in the inside increases.

An example of a sorting device for sorting non-defective products and defective products based on a command from the image processing device 61 will be described with reference to FIG. The stopper plate 45 is formed so that its inclined stop surface 45a can protrude from the opening inclined guide portion 47a formed in the inclined guide portion 47, and is retracted by the air cylinder 43 into the stop position projecting from the opening inclined guide portion 47a. To the released position. The piston bar 44 of the air cylinder 43 and the stopper plate 45 are formed so as to be capable of adjusting a fixed position, and by adjusting the position, the protrusion position of the inclined stop surface 45a, that is, the stop position of the fiber 11, can be adjusted.
The stopper plate 45 is prevented from rattling by the guide member 46.

Between the inclined guide portion 47 and the fiber alignment tray 49, the fibers 11 determined to be defective by the image processing device 61 are prevented from entering the fiber alignment tray 49. A seesaw-type sorting plate 71 that drops onto a defective fiber tray 79 disposed below and between them is provided. The sorting plate 71 is
A pair of support pillars 73 (only one is shown) are pivotally supported and are normally weight-balanced by their own weight. Usually, the discharge port inclined guide section 47a of the inclined guide section 47 and the receiving port 49a of the fiber alignment tray 49 are provided. Has contacted. In this state, the fibers 11 that have fallen down from the inclined guide portion 47 ride on the sorting plate 71 from the discharge port 47a, roll on the sorting plate 71, and enter the fiber alignment tray 49 from the receiving port 49a.

A sorting piston bar 77 driven by a sorting air cylinder 75 is provided below the sorting plate 71 on the fiber alignment tray 49 side. When the piston bar 77 extends and pushes up the selection plate 71, the selection plate 7
1 rotates in the defective product selection direction (counterclockwise in the figure) to form a gap between the inclined guide portion 47a and the selection plate 71, and the fibers 11 rolled out from the discharge port 47a are stored in the defective fiber tray 79. Let it fall.

The configuration of a control system for controlling this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Left and right CCD cameras 51
Is switched by the switch 62 and is alternatively input. The image data selected by the switch 62 is converted into binary data (digital data) by the binarization processing unit 63, and the area of the high luminance portion included in the image is obtained by the quadrature unit 64 based on the data. . The area data is compared with a reference value in the area comparison unit 65, and the comparison data is output to the control unit 66.

If the comparison data is equal to or smaller than the reference value, the control unit 66 determines that the product is non-defective, switches the switch 62, and performs the same processing for the other CCD camera 51. On the other hand, if the comparison data is outside the reference value, the control unit 6
6 outputs a discard signal to the sorting air cylinder driving device 67, judging that it is defective. Upon receiving the discard signal, the selection air cylinder driving device 67 drives the selection air cylinder 75 to rotate the selection plate 71 in the discard direction.

The operation of the main image processing apparatus 61 will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the control unit 66 receives the measurement start signal, first,
A flag F for identifying which CCD camera 51 is to be processed is set to "1" so as to identify that one of the CCD cameras 51 is to be processed (S101). Next, one CCD camera 51A is driven, and the switch 62 is switched to this image data input to input image data (S103). Then, the binarization processing section 63 and the quadrature section 64 are operated to obtain area data, and the area data is compared with a reference value in the area comparison section 65 (S105, S107).

Here, if the area data is not within the reference value range, it is determined to be defective, and the sorting air cylinder driving device 67
Is operated to drop the fiber 11 into the defective fiber tray 79 (S109, S111). If the area data is equal to or smaller than the reference value, the flag F is checked, and the flag F
If is not “0”, it is the first processing, so the switch 62
To the image data input from the other CCD camera 51B to drive the other CCD camera 51B,
Is set to “0” and the process returns to S105 (S113, S1
15, S117). Then, steps S105 to S11
Step 3 is repeated. In the processing of S113, the flag F
Is "0", the check of both ends is completed, and the fiber 11 is determined to be a non-defective product.
Then, the process exits from this process, and waits for the next measurement start signal. On the other hand, if it is determined that one of the ends is defective, S10
The process proceeds from S9 to S111 to discard the fiber 11, and then exits this processing.

By the above process, defective products are removed during the transportation from the cutting process to the next process, so that the defects in the subsequent processing are drastically reduced, and the production efficiency is extremely increased. In this embodiment, the cut fiber 11 is inspected as it is, but a fiber wiping step may be inserted before the inspection.

[0020]

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the invention can inspect the end face of the cut fiber in the process of transporting the cut fiber, and can select defective products. Dramatic decrease, productivity is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of an embodiment of a fiber end face inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a main part of a fiber sorting unit of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart relating to the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 optical fiber 21 base 31 transfer device 33 transfer belt 35 rib 49 fiber alignment tray 51 CCD camera 52 focus adjustment plate 53 adjustment substrate 54 horizontal adjustment substrate 55 front-rear adjustment substrate 58 illumination fiber bundle 59 light shielding plate 71 sorting plate 75 Sorting air cylinder 79 Bad fiber tray

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01B 11/00-11/30 102 G01N 21/84-21/91 G06T 1/00-9/20 G02B 6 / 00-6/00 351

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A method for conveying a fiber cut to a predetermined length.
Conveying means for conveying in a direction perpendicular to the direction, and both ends of the fiber conveyed by the conveying means
It is placed in the middle of the transport path that passes, and both ends of the above fiber
From the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fiber
Imaging means for imaging, and the imaging means
File based on image data near both ends of the fiber
Image processing means for judging whether the bar is good or bad, and based on the result of the judgment, a good fiber and a bad fiber
A fiber end face inspection apparatus, comprising: a selection unit for selecting a fiber. 2. A fiber end face inspection apparatus according to claim 1.
The device further includes the file at the shooting position of the imaging unit.
Illuminate both end faces of the
Fiber end face inspection device equipped with a lighting means. 3. The end of a fiber according to claim 1 or 2.
In the surface inspection apparatus, the image processing means may include the image data.
Good or bad based on high brightness data obtained from data
Fiber end face inspection device to determine