JP4719714B2 - X-ray foreign object detection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is provided so as to come into contact with an inspection object passing through a site irradiated with X-rays in order to shield the X-rays applied to the inspection object from the X-ray irradiation means and prevent leakage to the outside of the apparatus. Further, the present invention relates to an X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus that includes a shielding curtain for shielding X-rays and detects the presence or absence of foreign matters such as metal and bone contained in an object to be inspected such as food.

  The X-ray foreign matter detection device irradiates X-rays on various types of inspection objects (raw meat, fish, processed food, medicine, etc.) that are sequentially transported on a transport path such as a conveyor, and the amount of transmitted X-rays. This is a device that detects whether or not foreign matter such as metal, glass, stone, and bone is mixed in the inspection object.

This X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus is provided with a carry-in port and a carry-out port through which an inspection object is carried in and out, and a conveyance path by a belt conveyor or the like is formed. In order to prevent the irradiated X-rays from leaking from the carry-in port and the carry-out port, an X-ray shielding shield curtain formed of lead-containing rubber or the like is provided on the transport path. The shielding curtain is designed to block the conveyance path and to be in contact with the object to be inspected that is conveyed on the conveyance path. Although it is large, there are difficulties in durability such as deterioration and wear.
In order to solve these problems, a shielding curtain formed of metal has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-132747 A

In the metal shielding curtain as described in Patent Document 1, it is rotatably provided on the conveyance path, and in a normal stationary state, X-rays are shielded while hanging down on the conveyance path, and the carry-in entrance and the carry-in curtain. X-ray leakage from the exit is prevented.
When the inspection objects are sequentially conveyed on the conveyance path, the shielding curtain comes into contact with the inspection object, and is pushed up in the conveyance direction as the inspection object moves. When the inspection object passes, the shielding curtain released from the contact with the inspection object rotates to return to the original stationary position.
The shielding curtain rotates and passes over the original stationary position, and jumps back in the direction opposite to the conveying direction due to the reaction.
However, if the next object to be inspected is transported at this time, especially in the case of a block of raw meat, the tip of the shielding curtain bites into the object to be inspected, and the object to be inspected cannot be rotated. This causes a problem that the inspection object cannot be transported while the movement of the inspection object is held down.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an X-ray foreign object detection device capable of detecting a foreign object without blocking the inspection curtain from transporting the inspection object even when the inspection object sequentially conveyed on the conveyance path contacts the shielding curtain. The purpose is to provide.

In the X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the conveyance for conveying the object to be inspected through the casing (2) and the conveyance path (8) formed in the casing. Means (7), X-ray irradiation means (3) for irradiating the inspection object conveyed by the conveying means with X-rays, and X-ray detection means for detecting the X-ray transmitted through the inspection object ( and 4) projecting a horizontal axis (12) perpendicular to the conveying direction provided in the transport path, Ri such a swingable metal plate attached to a horizontal axis, in the conveying direction and opposite direction of the conveying means In the X-ray foreign object detection device comprising the X-ray shielding member (10, 11) having the portion (15) ,
In the X-ray shielding member, a part extending from a base end side (13) suspended from the horizontal axis (12) is formed in a flat plate shape, and a distal end side (14) extending further from a part on the flat plate is a curved surface. It is formed in a shape. With this configuration, since the tip of the shielding curtain does not bite into the inspection object, the conveyance of the inspection object is not prevented.

In the X-ray foreign object detection apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention, the X-ray shielding member is formed in a curved surface over the entire surface extending from the proximal end side suspended from the horizontal axis (12) to the distal end side. Yes. With this configuration, since the tip of the shielding curtain does not bite into the inspection object, the conveyance of the inspection object is not prevented.

In X-ray foreign material detecting apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention, the X-ray shielding member, a round pipe (16) is fixed to the earliest-edge side. With this configuration, since the tip of the shielding curtain does not bite into the inspection object, the conveyance of the inspection object is not prevented.

In the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus according to claim 4 of the present invention, the X-ray shielding member is made of stainless steel. With this configuration, it is excellent in cleanability, lightweight and durable.

In the X-ray foreign object detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , the shielding curtain may prevent the inspection object from being conveyed even if the inspection object sequentially conveyed on the conveyance path contacts the shielding curtain. Therefore, foreign matter can be easily detected without stopping the apparatus.

In the X-ray foreign matter detection device according to claim 4 , since the X-ray shielding member is made of stainless steel, the X-ray shielding member is excellent in cleanability, lightweight and durable, and the tip of the shielding curtain is inspected. Since it does not bite into an object, it does not prevent the inspection object from being conveyed.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an article inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The X-ray foreign object detection apparatus 1 is installed in a part of a conveyance line that conveys the inspection object W, and is mixed with the metal, glass, stone, bone mixed in the inspection object W that is sequentially conveyed at a predetermined interval. The presence or absence of foreign matter such as is detected.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 2 includes an X-ray generator 3 and an X-ray detector 4 inside, and the X-ray generator 3 and the X-ray detector 4 are generated by the X-ray generator 3. The X-ray detection unit 4 detects the amount of transmitted X-rays that are exposed to and transmitted through the object W. ing.

In the housing 2, the inspection object W transported from the front conveyor of the transportation line is carried into the interior of the housing 2, and the inspection object W that has finished detecting foreign matter is located outside the housing 2. And a transport unit 7 for transporting the inspection object W is provided between the transport port 5 and the transport port 6 of the housing 2, and constitutes a transport path 8. ing.
The transport unit 7 includes four rollers 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d and an endless transport belt 7e wound around these rollers, and the X-ray generated by the X-ray generation unit 4 is being transported. It arrange | positions so that it may expose to the to-be-inspected object W perpendicularly | vertically.
Moreover, the conveyance part 7 conveys various to-be-inspected objects W, such as raw meat, a fish, processed food, a medicine, in the conveyance direction A by the fixed conveyance speed preset by the drive of the drive motor 9 connected to the roller 7a. It is like that.

  An X-ray shielding curtain 10 and an X-ray shielding curtain (small) 11 are suspended in the middle of the conveyance path 8. A total of four sets of X-ray shielding curtains 10 are suspended in the vicinity of the carry-in entrance 5 and two sets in the vicinity of the carry-out exit, and the transport path 8 near the center of the casing is longer than the X-ray shield curtain 10. A short X-ray shielding curtain (small) 11 is suspended. These X-ray shielding curtains 10 and 11 shield X-rays generated from the X-ray generator 3 from leaking out from the carry-in entrance 5 and the carry-out exit 6.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a shaft 12 extending to a length slightly longer than the width of the belt 7 e in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction is fixed to the upper portion of the transport path 8 of the housing 2. A plurality of curtain pieces 10a, which have a length that does not contact the surface of the belt 7e and whose width is divided into strips, are formed so as to shield the conveying path 8 by a width slightly longer than the width of the belt 7e. Attached to the shaft 12 side by side.
The curtain piece 10a uses a metal plate, in particular, a stainless steel thin plate. The base end side 13 is formed in a round pipe shape with a diameter slightly larger than the shaft diameter of the shaft 12, and about one third of the circumference is open, so that the shaft 12 can be attached and removed. It is free and can swing.
About one-fifth of the total length extends from the round pipe-shaped portion on the base end side 13 of the curtain piece 10a toward the distal end side 14 in a flat plate shape, and further from the flat plate portion. An R-bending with a radius corresponding to the height of the inspection object W is applied to the distal end side 14 to form a convex portion 15.

  When this curtain piece 10a is attached to the shaft 12, the R-bending convex portion 15 is attached so as to face in the direction opposite to the conveying direction in which the inspection object W is conveyed. When the curtain piece 10a is put on the shaft 11, it does not hang vertically in a stationary state, but the tip end side is slightly inclined toward the transport direction due to the position of the center of gravity of the convex portion 15 by R bending. Accordingly, the object to be inspected W that has been conveyed has a small angle of contact when abutting against a part of the convex portion 15, so that the frictional resistance is small, and the object to be inspected W is smoothly conveyed while changing the abutting position.

  When the inspection object W passes and is released from the contact with the curtain piece 10a, the curtain piece 10a tries to return to the original position by the reaction that is swung in the transport direction. Even when the next inspection object W is conveyed when the curtain piece 10a passes through the original position and swings in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction, the convex portion 15 is formed on the curtain piece 10a. For this reason, since the contact angle between the object to be inspected W and the convex portion 15 of the curtain piece 10a is small, the curtain piece 10a itself does not pierce the object to be inspected W without the tip of the curtain piece 10a piercing the object to be inspected W. As it is transported, it swings following the movement. For this reason, smooth conveyance is possible especially for soft and irregular shapes such as raw meat blocks.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the curtain piece 10a will be described with reference to FIG.
The shape of the base end side 13 of the curtain piece 10a is the same as that in FIGS. 3 and 4, and can be attached to and detached from the shaft 12 and can be swung. A portion extending from the proximal end side 13 to the distal end side 14 is flat, and a stainless steel round pipe 16 is welded to the distal end side 14. Therefore, when the object to be inspected W is conveyed and comes into contact with the curtain piece 10a, it first comes into contact with the round pipe 15 at the tip, so that the piece of curtain 10a does not pierce the object W and is smoothly conveyed. Is possible.

The front view which shows 1st Embodiment of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on this invention The side view which shows 1st Embodiment of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on this invention Side view showing an X-ray shielding curtain according to the present invention Plan view showing an X-ray shielding curtain according to the present invention The perspective view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the X-ray shielding curtain which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 X-ray foreign material detection apparatus 2 Case 3 X-ray generation part 4 X-ray detection part 5 Carry-in entrance 6 Carry-out exit 7 Conveyance part 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d Roller 8 Conveyance path 9 Drive motor 10 X-ray shielding curtain 10a Curtain piece Fragment 11 X-ray shielding curtain (small)
12 Axis 13 End side 14 End side 15 Convex

Claims (4)

A housing (2);
Transport means (7) for transporting an object to be inspected through a transport path (8) formed in the housing;
X-ray irradiation means (3) for irradiating the inspection object conveyed by the conveyance means with X-rays;
X-ray detection means (4) for detecting the X-ray transmitted through the inspection object;
A horizontal axis (12) orthogonal to the transport direction provided in the transport path;
Ri such a swingable metal plate mounted on the horizontal axis and provided with a conveying direction and the direction opposite to the X-ray shielding member which has a convex portion (15) (10, 11) of said conveying means X In the wire foreign object detection device,
In the X-ray shielding member, a part extending from a base end side (13) suspended from the horizontal axis (12) is formed in a flat plate shape, and a distal end side (14) extending further from a part on the flat plate is a curved surface. An X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus, wherein the projection is formed in a shape . A housing (2);
Transport means (7) for transporting an object to be inspected through a transport path (8) formed in the housing;
X-ray irradiation means (3) for irradiating the inspection object conveyed by the conveyance means with X-rays;
X-ray detection means (4) for detecting the X-ray transmitted through the inspection object;
A horizontal axis (12) orthogonal to the transport direction provided in the transport path;
An X-ray comprising an X-ray shielding member (10, 11) made of a swingable metal plate attached to the horizontal shaft and having a convex portion (15) in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the transport means. In the foreign object detection device,
The X-ray shielding member, you wherein is over the entire surface which extends in a curved shape from a horizontal axis (12) hanging down is the proximal side to the distal end side to form the convex portions X-ray inspection Detection device. A housing (2);
Transport means (7) for transporting an object to be inspected through a transport path (8) formed in the housing;
X-ray irradiation means (3) for irradiating the inspection object conveyed by the conveyance means with X-rays;
X-ray detection means (4) for detecting the X-ray transmitted through the inspection object;
A horizontal axis (12) orthogonal to the transport direction provided in the transport path;
An X-ray comprising an X-ray shielding member (10, 11) made of a swingable metal plate attached to the horizontal shaft and having a convex portion (15) in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the transport means. In the foreign object detection device,
The X-ray shielding member, the distal end side of the X-ray foreign material detecting device you characterized by round pipe earliest (16) form said protrusion is fixed. The X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray shielding member is made of stainless steel .

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