JP3156220B2 - Gas container bottom inspection device - 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 which is arranged in an inspection factory or a gas filling factory for a gas container for LP gas or the like and automatically inspects a bottom surface of a collected gas container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an inspection process of a collected LP gas container, an operator visually inspects the appearance to judge pass / fail. As is well known, the LP gas container is provided with a skirt T2 around the periphery of the bottom surface T1 of the cylindrical container main body. In the inspection step, mainly, corrosion or pinholes of the bottom surface T1 surrounded by the skirt T2 are generated. Inspection for corrosion, pinholes, etc. are likely to occur at the boundary between the bottom surface T1 and the skirt T2, that is, at the periphery T3 of the bottom surface of the gas container. (See FIG. 5).

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned inspection work requires a great deal of time and is inefficient, and the work depends on the empirical rules of the workers. There was room for improvement in making this happen. The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and a purpose thereof is to automate the bottom inspection of a collected gas container with high accuracy.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, an inspection apparatus according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical gas container main body.
In a gas container such as LP gas with a skirt around the periphery
And the bottom of the gas container body mainly surrounded by the skirt
Peripheral edge of the bottom of the gas container at the boundary between the surface and the skirt
Gas volume to detect the presence of corrosion, pinholes, etc.
A bottom conveyor for conveying a gas container in a sideways state, an imaging unit for imaging a bottom surface of the gas container on the conveyor, and a gas container in which a defect such as a pinhole or corrosion has occurred. Memory means for storing the bottom image of the gas container as a defective pattern image, and analyzing the bottom image of the gas container taken by the imaging means to determine whether or not it matches the defective pattern image already stored in the memory means. Determining means , disposed at a fixed position of the transport conveyor,
Rotating machine that rotates the gas container on the conveyor in the circumferential direction
And the imaging means is provided with a bottom surface of the gas container.
Corner that can image the bottom edge of the border that is the boundary with the skirt
It is installed with a degree, and it is
The bottom surface of the rotating gas container is circumferentially
By the imaging means as a divided image divided into a plurality of
The gist of the invention is that it is configured to capture an image by a camera . The imaging means uses an imaging device such as a CCD camera, for example, and the imaging device and the like are arranged at an appropriate position in a transport path by a transport conveyor, and can capture an image of a bottom surface of a gas container sequentially transported by the transport conveyor. To be configured.

[0005]

Furthermore, captured by the imaging means, the determined bottom image to be defective pattern image by the determining means is preferably configured to store in the memory means as a new failure pattern image (claim 2) .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bottom surface of the gas container which is conveyed sideways on the conveyor is imaged by the imaging means, and the bottom image is analyzed and stored in the memory means. The determination means determines whether or not the gas container coincides with the defective pattern image, thereby automatically determining whether the gas container is good or defective.

More specifically, when the gas container which is conveyed sideways on the conveyance conveyor reaches the turning mechanism, the turning mechanism turns the gas container in the sideways state in the circumferential direction. Then, the imaging means is operated to take an image of the bottom surface of the gas container as a divided image in which the peripheral edge of the bottom surface is divided into a plurality in the circumferential direction. Then, each divided image (bottom image) is analyzed, and whether or not the gas container matches the defective pattern image stored in the memory means is determined by the determination means. In each of the divided images, the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the gas container, that is, the boundary portion between the bottom surface of the gas container and the skirt where corrosion and pinholes are most likely to occur is imaged reliably, and the inside of the skirt is looked into and the corrosion state is observed. The operation of checking the data and the like is automated.

In the case of the second aspect , the bottom image determined to be a defective pattern image is stored in the memory means as a new defective pattern image. And the inspection accuracy is further improved.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The bottom inspection apparatus A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a carry-in conveyor 2 for carrying a gas container T in an upright state, a gas conveyor T at a start end of a conveyor 1 for carrying a gas container T sideways, and a gas container T. Of the gas container T, the image pickup means 6 and the focusing device 7 are arranged at fixed positions of the conveyor 1, and the end of the conveyor 1. This is configured by providing an erecting device 8 for the gas container T and a carry-out conveyor 9 in the section.

The transport conveyor 1 moves the gas container T, which is mounted sideways on the starting end, toward the terminal end.
It is intermittently conveyed for each stroke, and an endless chain 13 is stretched over both side ends of the drive rollers 11 and 12 provided at a predetermined distance. The chains 13 on both sides of the conveyor support rollers 14 extending in the width direction of the conveyor at both ends, and the rollers 14 are arranged around the endless chain 13 at an interval slightly smaller than the diameter of the gas container T. A gas container T lying sideways is mounted on the rollers 14 at regular intervals. The conveyor 1 is operated by intermittent rotation of the drive rollers 11 and 12, and the gas containers T lined up on the conveyor 1 are intermittently conveyed by a predetermined stroke.

The carry-in conveyor 2 connected to the start end of the conveyor 1 carries the gas container T in an upright state. The end of the conveyor 2 is connected to the side-down device 3.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
A slide 32 having a V-shaped groove formed by inclining the two rows of rollers 31 is provided on the end side of the carry-in conveyor 2, and the slide 32 is fixed to an end of the frame 33 by a shaft stopper 34. It is rotatably fixed to the shaft. Then, the slide 32 is moved by the operation of the drive cylinder 35 to the carry-in conveyor 2.
It is configured to reciprocate within a range of 90 ° between an upright state rising to the end side and a sideways state mounted on the frame 33.

Therefore, the gas container T which has been brought in to the terminal end of the carry-in conveyor 2 has the slide 32 in the upright state.
It is placed on a bottom receiving plate 36 provided on the lower end side of the, and is rotated integrally with the slide 32 by the operation of the drive cylinder 35, and is placed on the frame 33.

A drive cylinder 37 is provided on the frame 33 so as to extend along the slide 32 which is in a sideways position. A hanging piece 37b is rotatably attached to the tip of a piston rod 37a of the driving cylinder 37, and the hanging piece 37b is placed on the slide 32 in a gas container T
The gas container T on the slide 32 moves in the axial direction by contracting the piston rod 37a, and the open / close valve T5 at the upper end of the container T contacts the stopper 38 on the frame 33. Thus, the relative positioning between the gas container T and the conveyor 1 is performed.

The slide 32 is provided with the shaft stopper 34 described above.
Is rotatably fixed in the width direction by a shaft stopper 39a provided above the shaft, and is supported so as to be tilted toward the transport conveyor 1 by the operation of the rotation drive cylinder 39b of the shaft stopper 39a. Due to this tilt, the gas container T on the slide 32 rolls out toward the conveyor 1 and is reloaded on the receiving tables 41 of the loading device 4.

The loading device 4 is provided with a slide 32 in a sideways position.
Pedestals 41, 41 arranged adjacent to both ends in the length direction
Connecting plates 42, 42 for connecting the receiving tables 41 and the starting end of the conveyor 1 with inclined surfaces, and receiving tables 41, 4
1 and a pivoting rod 43 that pivots between the lower end of the conveyor 1 and the starting end of the conveyor 1.
The gas container T placed on the top 41 is
The transfer plate 42 is configured to be rolled on the connecting plates 42 and 42 while being pushed and transferred to the start end of the conveyor 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, the erecting device 8 installed at the end of the conveyor 1 has a V-shaped groove formed by inclining two rows of rollers 81 in the same manner as the above-described side-to-side device 3. The constructed slide 82 is rotatably supported at one end of a frame 83 by a shaft stopper 84, and the slide 82 is moved by the operation of a drive cylinder 85 to move the slide 82 to the frame 8.
It is configured so as to reciprocate within a range of 90 ° between a sideways state mounted on the top 3 and an upright state rising to the end side of the carry-out conveyor 9. Further, on the frame 83, the head of the gas container T placed on the slide 82 is pushed, and the bottom edge of the gas container T (the lower edge of the skirt T2) is placed on the bottom receiving plate 86.
Is provided with a driving cylinder 87 for contacting the driving cylinder. Therefore,
The gas container T that has been transported to the end of the transport conveyor 1
Is placed on a slide 82 in a sideways position, is further locked by a bottom receiving plate 86, rotates together with the slide 82 by the operation of the drive cylinder 85, and is positively moved to the start end side of the carry-out conveyor 9. It is carried in a standing position.

A rotary mechanism 5 installed at a fixed position on the conveyor 1 rotates a roller 51 in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the gas container T reaching a predetermined position on the conveyor 1 in a predetermined direction by driving by a rotary encoder 52. It is intermittently driven to rotate by a predetermined amount and supported by a lifting mechanism (not shown) so as to move up and down through a gap between the rollers 14.
In the raised position, the roller 51 comes into contact with the gas container T to rotate the gas container T intermittently by a predetermined amount in the circumferential direction, while in the lowered position, the roller 51 sinks below the transport conveyor 1 and drives the transport conveyor 1. Is configured so as not to hinder.

The imaging means 6 comprises a CCD camera in this embodiment. The CCD camera 6 is arranged at a position where the bottom surface T1 of the gas container T which is rotated by the driving of the rotation mechanism 5 can be imaged. A rotation mechanism 5 is provided at an angle at which the bottom edge T3 of the gas container T can be imaged.
The bottom surface T1 of the gas container T, which rotates intermittently by a predetermined amount in the circumferential direction, is divided into a plurality of (in this example, eight) divided peripheral portions T3 of the bottom surface T1 of the bottom surface T1.
It is configured to take an image as P8 (see FIGS. 4 to 6).

The focusing device 7 has a driving cylinder 71 disposed on an extension of the axis of the gas container T rotated by the driving of the rotating mechanism 5 on a frame 72, and a piston rod 73 of the driving cylinder 71. A hook 74 is provided at the tip of
The drive cylinder 71 is driven to slide the gas container T while the hook 74 is engaged with the opening / closing valve T5 of the gas container T, whereby the relative alignment between the gas container T and the CCD camera 6 is established. And C with respect to the bottom surface T1 of the container T
The configuration is such that the focusing of the CD camera 6 can be performed automatically.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned transport conveyor 1, carry-in conveyor 2, side-down device 3, carry-in device 4, rotating mechanism 5, imaging means 6, focusing device 7, erecting device 8, and carry-out conveyor 9
Is a control unit (not shown) configured by a computer
The gas container T carried in from the carry-in conveyor 2 is placed sideways on the conveyor 1 on the basis of the control signal from the control unit, and the gas container T is circularly moved during the conveyance by the conveyor 1. The operation is appropriately controlled so that the container T is rotated in the circumferential direction and the bottom surface T1 of the container T is imaged as a divided image by the CCD camera 6 and then carried out in an upright manner by the carry-out conveyor 9.

The control section includes a memory means 101 for storing a large number of bottom images of a gas container having a defect such as a pinhole or corrosion as a defective pattern image, and a bottom image of the gas container T taken by the image pickup means 6. (Split image P1 ~
P8), and determining means 102 for determining whether any of the defective pattern images is already stored in the memory means 101 or not. The bottom face image is stored in the memory means 101. When the gas container T matches any of the defective pattern images, it is determined that the gas container T is defective, and when it does not match any of the defective pattern images, the gas container T is determined to be non-defective. The defect is automatically determined. Each divided image P1
In P8, the bottom edge T3 of the gas container, that is, the boundary portion between the bottom surface T1 of the gas container and the skirt T2 where corrosion and pinholes are most likely to occur is reliably imaged, whereby the inside of the skirt T2 is peeped. The operation of checking the corrosion state and the like is performed automatically. Further, the control unit stores the bottom image captured by the image capturing unit 6 and determined by the determining unit 102 as a defective pattern image in the memory unit 101 as a new defective pattern image, and stores the bottom of the gas container determined to be defective. It is configured to store and count the container numbers (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Incidentally, the memory means 101
The defective pattern image stored in advance in the memory and the defective pattern image newly stored in the memory are pinhole, hole-like corrosion, point-like corrosion,
A large number of images of the bottom surface of the container where various defects such as linear corrosion, band corrosion, and skirt damage have occurred are analyzed for each type of defect such as large, small, light and dark, and stored in a pattern. . The judging means 102 compares the similarity between the input signal from the imaging means 6 (that is, the bottom image) and each of the defective pattern images already stored in the memory means 101. A configuration may be adopted in which the container T is determined to be defective, and when the two are not similar, the container T is determined to be good. The control unit controls each gas container T
There is provided a well-known means for reading and storing customer-specific data, a container number, and the like stored in a barcode attached to each of the containers, and storing / counting the determination result for each container number.

Hereinafter, the bottom surface inspection apparatus A configured as described above
Will be described in the order of operation with reference to FIG. The collected gas container T is subjected to various pre-treatments in the pre-process,
After reading customer-specific data, container numbers, and the like stored in a barcode affixed to each container T and storing them in the control unit, they are loaded on the carry-in conveyor 2 and carried into the side-down device 3 (S1).

The gas container T carried in an upright state up to the end of the carry-in conveyor 2 abuts on the slide 32 in a vertically standing state, and the bottom portion is supported by a bottom receiving plate 36.
The slide 32 is rotated by the drive of the drive cylinder 35, and FIG.
As shown by, the gas container T falls down to a horizontal state (S2). Next, when the slide 32 is tilted toward the conveyor 1 by the operation of the rotary drive cylinder 39b, the gas container T on the slide 32 rolls out and is placed on the receiving table 41 of the loading device 4. The gas container T placed on the receiving table 41 is pushed back by the rotation of the rotating rod 43 and moves while rolling on the communication plate 42, and is placed between the rollers 14, 14 located at the start end of the conveyor 1. .

As described above, the gas containers T are sequentially loaded and arranged on the conveyor 1. Then, the transport conveyor 1 performs an intermittent feeding operation with the same stroke as the pitch between the gas containers T arranged on the conveyor (S3).

The gas container T conveyed to the home position by the conveyor 1 is aligned with the CCD camera 6 by the operation of the focusing device 7, whereby the focusing of the CCD camera 6 on the bottom surface T1 of the container T is performed. This is performed (S4). Before or after the end of the focusing, the CCD camera 6
Operates to start imaging the container bottom surface T1 (S5), and furthermore, the rotating mechanism 5 operates to intermittently rotate the container T by a predetermined amount in the circumferential direction (S6).
Are imaged as divided images P1 to P8 obtained by dividing the peripheral portion T3 of the bottom surface into a plurality of pieces (eight pieces in this example) in the circumferential direction (S7), and are sent to the control section.

The control unit analyzes the transmitted bottom images (divided images P1 to P8) and determines whether or not it matches (or is similar to) any one of the defective pattern images already stored in the memory means 101. The judgment is made by the judging means 102, and the pass / fail of the gas container T is automatically judged based on the judgment result by the judging means 102 (S8). Each of the divided images P1 to P8 includes a bottom edge T3 of the gas container,
That is, the boundary between the bottom surface T1 of the gas container and the skirt T2 where corrosion and pinholes are most likely to occur is reliably imaged, and thereby the work of checking the inside of the skirt T2 and checking the corrosion state and the like is automated. You. Further, the control unit captures the bottom image captured by the imaging unit 6 and determined by the determination unit 102 to be a defective pattern image,
It is stored in the memory means 101 as a new defective pattern image. Further, the container determined to be defective is stored / counted in association with the previously stored container number and customer-specific data (S9), and used as data for replenishing the container T, customer management, and the like.

After the inspection, the container T is transported to the end of the transport conveyor 1 and is placed on the slide 82 of the erecting device 8, and then the slide 82 is turned 90 ° by the extension of the drive cylinder 85 to stand vertically. Thereby, the gas container T is erected and placed on the start end of the carry-out conveyor 9, and is carried out by the carry-out conveyor 9 in the upright state (S10). Then, the container T for which a good determination has been made is regarded as passing the visual inspection, and is sent to the next step. On the other hand, the container T that has been determined to be defective is automatically opened or closed at an appropriate position by opening and closing a gate (not shown) provided on the unloading conveyor 9 and operated by a command from the control unit based on the determination result of the determination means 102. The line is temporarily lined out by the worker's work based on the notification of the notifying unit (not shown) based on the judgment result of the judgment unit 102 provided, and the worker checks again. Here, if it is determined that it can be used, it is returned to the line again and sent to the next process, and if it is determined that it cannot be used, it is discarded.

In this embodiment, an image pickup means (CCD) is mounted on the gas container T mounted substantially horizontally on the conveyor 1.
Although the camera 6) is installed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle, the bottom edge T3 of the gas container T can be imaged. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The container T is inclined at a predetermined angle, and the bottom edge T of the container T is inclined.
3 may be configured to be able to image. In this example, C
By installing the CD camera 6 in a downwardly inclined shape, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the lens portion.
Although the determination accuracy is prevented from deteriorating due to the dust or the like being imaged in the bottom image of the container T, the same effect can be obtained even if the CCD camera 6 is installed in a laterally inclined shape. If a mechanism for preventing dust and dirt from adhering to the lens is separately provided, the CCD camera 6 may be installed in an upwardly inclined shape, or imaging means may be provided below the gas container T in the upright state. It is also possible to configure so that the bottom edge T3 can be imaged.
The conveyor 1 can be changed within a known range in response to this. Further, it is needless to say that a change such as providing a notifying means for notifying the result of good / bad judgment by the judging means is within the scope of the present invention.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the bottom surface of the gas container conveyed sideways by the conveyor is imaged by the imaging means, and the bottom image coincides with the previously stored defective pattern image. Since the inspection device has a new configuration for determining whether or not the inspection is good, it is possible to automatically determine the good / bad state of the bottom surface of a large number of collected gas containers in the middle of the transport path. Therefore, compared with the conventional work in which the operator visually inspects and determines good / bad, the work efficiency of the inspection process is greatly improved, and the number of workers in the inspection process is reduced and the number of unmanned persons is promoted. It is possible to stabilize the inspection accuracy as compared with a conventional inspection method which can rely on the empirical rules of the operator.

Further , the gas container on the conveyor is rotated in the circumferential direction, and the bottom surface of the gas container is imaged by the image pickup means as a divided image in which the peripheral edge of the bottom surface is divided into a plurality in the circumferential direction. Therefore , in each of the divided images (bottom image), the boundary between the bottom surface of the gas container and the skirt where corrosion and pinholes and the like are most likely to occur is imaged, and the inside of the skirt is looked into and the corrosion state is observed. The operation of checking the data and the like is automated. Therefore, the above effect can be made more effective.

Further as claimed in claim 2, when the determined bottom image to be defective pattern image by determining means is configured to store in the memory means as a new failure pattern image, failure pattern image each time the inspection because are automatically accumulated, Hakare further improve the inspection accuracy, claim
1 can be made more effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an inspection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing a starting end of a transport conveyor of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing a middle part of a transport conveyor of the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a simplified diagram showing a divided image of the bottom surface of the container imaged by an imaging unit.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view showing the terminal end of the conveyor.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation mainly of a control unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of the contents stored in the memory unit as a new defective pattern image of the bottom surface image determined to be a defective pattern image by the determining unit.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an inspection process by the apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: Bottom inspection device 1: Conveyor
2: Carrying conveyor 3: Side down device 4: Carrying device
5: Rotating mechanism 6: Imaging means (CCD camera)
7: Focusing device 8: Upright device 9: Unloading conveyor
T: Gas container T1: Bottom T2: Skirt T
3: Bottom edge T5: Open / close valve

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06T 7/00 G01N 21/80-21/90 G06T 1/00 F17C 5/00-13/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A skater is provided on a peripheral edge of a bottom surface of a cylindrical gas container body.
Mainly for LP gas and other gas containers around
The bottom of the gas container body surrounded by the skirt and the scar
Occurs at the bottom edge of the gas container at the boundary with the
Bottom inspection of gas container to detect corrosion and pinholes
A査device, a conveyor for transporting the gas container in a horizontally lying state, is arranged in place of the conveying conveyor, imaging means for imaging a bottom of the gas container on the conveyor, pinholes, corrosion, etc. Memory means for storing the bottom image of the gas container in which the defect has occurred as a failure pattern image, and analyzing the bottom image of the gas container taken by the imaging means to match the failure pattern image already stored in the memory means. Determining means for determining whether or not to carry out the transfer , and arranging the transfer conveyor at a fixed position.
And rotate the gas container on the conveyor in the circumferential direction.
A rotation mechanism, and the imaging means is provided at a boundary between the bottom surface of the gas container and the skirt.
The bottom edge of the bottom
Gas container which is rotated in the circumferential direction by the rotation mechanism
The bottom surface is divided into a plurality in the circumferential direction at the periphery of the bottom surface.
So that the image is captured by the image capturing means as a divided image.
Bottom inspection device for a gas container form. 2. An image pickup device, wherein the image is taken by the image pickup means, and the judgment means is provided.
Bottom image determined to be defective pattern image by
Is stored in the memory means as a new defective pattern image.
So that construction claims 1 bottom inspection device for a gas container according.