JP4005117B2 - X-ray inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an X-ray inspection apparatus that inspects conveyed articles.

  Conventionally, when inspecting products with multiple contents wrapped in packaging materials such as Wiener and chicken nuggets, products that are judged as rejected products are broken, and defective products are identified from among the multiple contents And follow the process of repacking only good products. Therefore, using a conventional X-ray inspection apparatus, the re-inspection of such a product re-inspects a plurality of contents individually in a separate process after the inspection of the normal product is completed. Therefore, it took a lot of time to complete the inspection.

  An X-ray inspection apparatus for solving the above problem has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such an apparatus, normal inspection and re-inspection can be performed in parallel, so that the inspection time can be shortened. Moreover, since the X-ray source and the detection unit are shared, the equipment cost can be reduced.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-254848 (page 2 to page 3, FIG. 2)

However, this apparatus has the following problems.
1) At the time of re-inspection, since a plurality of articles are inspected at the same time as in the normal inspection, it is impossible to specify which of the individual articles is defective. Therefore, in the case of a product in which a plurality of articles are packaged, it can be excluded only in packaging units including both defective products and non-defective products.
2) In the re-inspection, just narrowing the width of the path through which the article passes, and the inspection conditions such as the setting of the threshold value that is the criterion of the X-ray intensity and pass / fail criteria are the same as the normal inspection, The inspection accuracy of re-inspection is equivalent to that of normal inspection. On the other hand, in the X-ray inspection, the inspection result may change depending on the direction of contamination of the foreign matter. Therefore, in the re-inspection, if the conditions are the same as the normal inspection, the re-inspection may all pass. There is no sense of re-examination.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reliably eliminate products in which foreign matters are mixed while performing inspections of both inspection units in parallel.

In order to achieve the above object, an inspection apparatus according to the present invention is configured to inspect according to the size of an article or contents that are partitioned in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction in which the article is conveyed and a conveying means that conveys the article. a double inspection section for performing a X-ray source for irradiating X-rays to the two inspection unit on the way the article is conveyed, a line sensor for detecting X-rays transmitted through the article, one of the two inspection unit A first pass / fail determination is made for the article based on a detection value from one inspection section, and a second pass / fail determination is made for the article based on a detection value from another inspection section of the inspection sections. And a control means for performing the inspection according to the size of the article or the contents by changing the ratio of the two inspection parts .

  According to the present invention, by changing the ratio of the areas of both inspection parts, inspection according to the size of the article or contents can be performed, so the versatility of the apparatus is enhanced.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the criteria for the pass / fail judgment differ between the two inspection units .

According to this aspect, by setting the threshold value according to the areas of both inspection units , the inspections of both inspection units can be performed in parallel and individually.
Further, if both inspections are performed by one line sensor, the equipment cost can be reduced.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the number of the X-ray sources is one and the number of the line sensors is one.
In the present invention, the inspection parts are preferably partitioned by a partition plate.
In the present invention, it is preferable to cause the line sensor to detect the partition plate and automatically set the areas of the two inspection portions.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray inspection apparatus 1 for an article includes a conveyor (conveying means) 5 and an optical system 20. The optical system 20 includes an X-ray source 21 and a line sensor 22. The X-ray source 21 generates X-rays L and irradiates the X-rays L toward the line sensor 22.

A resin plate (partitioning means) 7 is provided above the conveying surface 51 of the conveyor 5, and a space for conveying articles is divided into a width direction D orthogonal to the conveying direction Y, and the normal inspection unit 2 and the reinspection unit 3. It is divided into and. In the normal inspection section (one inspection section of both inspection sections) 2, a product (article) M in which a plurality of contents (articles) q are wrapped with a packaging material is conveyed. On the other hand, in the re-inspection part (the other inspection part of both inspection parts) 3, the contents q taken out by breaking the product M are individually (in a state separated from each other in the transport direction Y). ) Be transported.

The X-ray source 21 irradiates both the product M and the contents q conveyed through the normal inspection unit 2 and the re-inspection unit 3 with X-rays L, respectively. The line sensor 22 is arranged below the normal inspection unit 2 and the re-inspection unit 3 so as to detect the X-ray L transmitted through the product M and the content q.
Distributing devices 9a and 9b for line-out of defective products are provided downstream of the normal inspection unit 2 and the re-inspection unit 3, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, the line sensor 22 is formed by arranging a large number of detection elements S _i (i = 1 to n) in a substantially straight line. Among the numerous detection elements S _i , the first to m-th m first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m are arranged at positions corresponding to the normal inspection unit 2 and are transmitted through the product M. L is detected. On the other hand, corresponding to one (m + c + 1) -th from to n-th (n- (m + c)) pieces of the second detection element S _{m + c +} 1 ~S _n is the re-inspection unit 3 of the plurality of detection elements S _i The X-ray L which is arrange | positioned in the position and permeate | transmitted the content q is detected.
The c third detection elements from the (m + 1) th detection element S _{m + 1} to the (m + c) th detection element S _{m + c} are arranged at positions corresponding to the resin plate 7.

Next, the control configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the X-ray inspection apparatus 1 has a microcomputer (control means) 10. The microcomputer 10 is connected to the X-ray source 21, the line sensor 22, and the local control device 25 through an interface (not shown). The local control device 25 controls the operation of the conveyor 5 and the operations of the sorting devices 9a and 9b.

The microcomputer 10 includes a CPU 11 and a memory (storage unit) 12.
The memory 12 includes a threshold storage unit 12a. As shown in FIG. 3B, the threshold value storage unit 12a includes a first threshold value set for the first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m and the second detection elements S _{m + c + 1} to the second threshold value are stored in advance set for S _n. The second threshold is set to a value smaller than the first threshold.

Here, since the product M and the contents q do not pass over the third detection elements S _{m + 1 to} S _{m + c} as shown in FIG. 2, the third detection elements S _{m + 1 to} S _{m A} threshold value is not set for _{+ c} , and detection values from the third detection elements S _{m + 1 to} S _{m + c} are ignored in the pass / fail determination described later.

The CPU 11 performs a pass / fail determination process for the product M and the contents q in the following manner with respect to the detection value of the detection element S _i of the line sensor 22.
(1) the normal detection value in the inspection unit 2, i.e. by comparing the detection value and the first threshold value of the first detection element S ₁ to S _m, whether the foreign matter in the product M is attached to contamination The first pass / fail determination is performed. When the detection values of the first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m are smaller than the first threshold value (when the amount of X-ray transmission is small), the product M is rejected, and the distribution device 9a Send a sort signal to.
(2) in parallel with said first acceptance judgment, the detected value of the re-examination section 3, i.e. that the detection value of the second detection element S _{m + c + 1} ~S _n comparing said second threshold value Then, a second pass / fail determination is made as to whether or not foreign matter is attached to or mixed in the content q. If the detected value of the said than second threshold second detecting element S _{m + c + 1} ~S _n is a small value (when the amount of transmission of X-rays is small), the the contents q Fail Then, a distribution signal is transmitted to the distribution device 9b.
(3) The detection values of the third detection elements S _{m + 1 to} S _{m + c} are ignored and no pass / fail determination is performed.

Next, an inspection method using the present X-ray inspection apparatus will be described.
An operator performs a predetermined operation to start the apparatus. Note that a product to be inspected may be specified by a controller (not shown), and the first and second threshold values may be set and changed based on the specification.
When the apparatus is started, first, the commodity M is supplied to the normal inspection unit 2 by the operator. When the product M conveyed by the conveyor 5 passes through the optical system 20 in the normal inspection unit 2, X-rays transmitted through the product M are detected by the first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m . Based on the detection values from the first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m , the CPU 11 performs the first pass / fail determination, and the product M determined to be rejected is lined out.

When re-inspecting the product M determined to be unacceptable in the normal inspection, the packaging of the unacceptable product is broken by the operator. The contents q of the rejected product thus obtained are individually supplied to the reinspection unit 3.
The X-ray L is irradiated to the supplied contents q to recheck unit 3, X-ray L transmitted through the contents q is detected in the second detecting element _{S m + c + 1 ~S n} , CPU11 Thus, the second pass / fail determination is performed. As a result of the second pass / fail determination, the contents q determined to be unacceptable are individually lined out by the downstream sorting device 9b.

By the way, the ratio of the region (width) of the normal inspection unit 2 and the region (width) of the re-inspection unit 3 may be changeable. The change of the region changes the position of the resin plate 7 in the width direction D, and the first detection elements S _{1 to} S _m and the second detection elements S _{m + c +} according to the position of the resin plate 7. the proportion of ₁ ~S _n to change settings. For example, after the position of the resin plate 7 is changed, X-rays are irradiated from the X-ray source 21 toward the line sensor 22 without changing the position of the resin plate 7, and the line sensor 22 detects the resin plate 7. and the portions S _{m + 1} ~S _{m + c} to the boundary, as the first detecting element S ₁ to S _m and the second detection element S _{m + c + 1} ~S _n is automatically set Also good.

  Further, an image may be created based on a detection signal from the detection element, and a foreign object image as an X-ray inspection result may be printed out. At that time, if the output level is printed together with the level meter of the threshold value for each trigger item, it is possible to know the margin at the time of foreign object detection by checking the content of the level meter after printing. Thereby, the stability of detection can be confirmed at any time.

  Further, the X-ray inspection apparatus may be connected to a general-purpose network so that the X-ray inspection apparatus and a personal computer on the network are linked. By using this X-ray inspection system to inform the administrator's mobile phone or personal computer of information such as changes in system status, the administrator does not need to be at the site, and all status changes can be made anywhere. In addition, it is possible to obtain more detailed information by accessing the network.

As described above, the preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand various changes and modifications within the obvious scope by looking at the present specification.
For example, two sets of X-ray sources and line sensors may be provided, and two different cross sections may be inspected to further improve the inspection accuracy.
Moreover, the object of normal inspection is not necessarily limited to the one wrapped in the packaging material.
In addition, the first threshold value and the second threshold value need not be constant values, and the first threshold value (and / or the second threshold value) may be different from each other depending on the position of the detection element. In this case, the average value of the second threshold is set to a value smaller than the average value of the first threshold.
Accordingly, such changes and modifications are to be construed as within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

  Delete

  Delete

  Delete

  Delete

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the X-ray inspection apparatus concerning this invention. It is a schematic front view which shows the principal part of the same X-ray inspection apparatus. (A) is a schematic block diagram which shows an X-ray inspection apparatus, (b) is a table | surface which shows the memory content of a memory | storage part.

Explanation of symbols

2: Normal inspection part (one inspection part of both inspection parts)
3: Re-inspection part (other inspection part of both inspection parts)
5: Conveyor (conveying means)
7: Resin plate (partitioning means)
10: Microcomputer (control means)
11: CPU
12: Memory (storage unit)
21: X-ray source 22: Line sensor S _i : Detection elements S _{1 to} S _m : First detection elements S _{m + c + 1 to} S _n : Second detection elements S _{m + 1 to} S _{m + c} : Third Detection element M: Product (article)
q: Contents (article)
L: X-ray Y: Transport direction D: Width direction

Claims (5)

Conveying means for conveying the article;
Both inspection sections that are partitioned in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in which the article is conveyed and inspect according to the size of the article or contents ;
An X-ray source that irradiates X-rays while the article is being conveyed through both the inspection units ;
A line sensor for detecting X-rays transmitted through the article;
A first pass / fail determination is made for the article based on a detection value from one of the inspection sections, and the article is based on a detection value from another inspection section of the inspection sections. Control means for performing a second pass / fail determination for
An X-ray inspection apparatus capable of inspecting according to the size of an article or contents by changing the ratio of both inspection parts .   The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the X-ray sources is one and the number of the line sensors is one.   The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection units are partitioned by a partition plate. 4. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the line sensor is detected by the line sensor, and the areas of the two inspection parts are automatically set. In any one of claims 1 to 4, X-ray examination apparatus, characterized in that criteria for the acceptance judgment are different from each other in the both test unit.

Images