JP5362283B2 - X-ray foreign object detection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an X-ray foreign object detection apparatus that detects a foreign object in an inspection object using X-rays, and more particularly to an X-ray foreign object detection apparatus that can be used in a production line.

  As an apparatus for detecting foreign substances (metal, stone, glass, synthetic resin, bone, rubber, etc.) contained in foods and pharmaceuticals, there is an X-ray foreign substance detection apparatus using X-rays. This X-ray foreign object detection apparatus irradiates an inspection object with X-rays, acquires a transmission image from the amount of X-rays that pass through the inspection object, and detects foreign objects contained in the inspection object based on the transmission image. Is what you do. In particular, an X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus used in a production line is provided with a transport unit that transports an object to be inspected so as to cross an X-ray irradiation region irradiated with X-rays. With this configuration, it is possible to acquire a transmission image of the inspection object while conveying the inspection object.

In addition, X-rays used in the X-ray foreign substance detection apparatus have a bad influence on the human body, and therefore X-ray leakage prevention norens are provided on both sides of the X-ray irradiation area in order to prevent the X-rays from leaking to the outside. There are many. Since this X-ray leakage prevention noren is generally made of rubber containing lead, the strip member constituting the X-ray leakage prevention nolen has characteristics that the whole is heavy and has high rigidity. For this reason, a tall object to be inspected is likely to be caught by the X-ray leakage prevention noren when it passes through the X-ray leakage prevention noren and may fall down. Therefore, conventionally, an X-ray leakage prevention noren having a structure that can be refracted in multiple stages (see Patent Document 1) and an X-ray leakage prevention noren that can be bent at a V-shaped angle (see Patent Document 2) have been proposed. It was. According to these X-ray foreign matter detection devices, it is possible to reduce the catch of the inspection object due to the X-ray leakage prevention noren.
JP 2003-270174 A JP 2006-343187 A

  However, the conventionally proposed X-ray foreign object detection device only reduces the catch of the inspection object due to the X-ray leakage prevention noren, and the inspection object falls down depending on the conditions such as the inspection object being light in weight. Sometimes it ends up. The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray foreign substance inspection apparatus that forcibly prevents the inspection object from falling down.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an X-ray foreign object detection apparatus according to the present invention forms an X-ray irradiation region by irradiating an X-ray in the inspection room having an entrance and an exit for an inspection object. An X-ray irradiator that is disposed opposite the X-ray irradiator so as to sandwich the examination room, the X-ray detector that detects the X-ray, and the X-ray irradiation region across the X-ray irradiator, Conveying means for conveying the object to be inspected from the carry-in port to the carry-out port, and a plurality of strip members, the X-ray leakage prevention noren provided on the carry-in side and the carry-out side of the X-ray irradiation region, A guide member that is disposed above the conveyance path of the inspection object and extends in the conveyance direction of the inspection object through the strip member.

  According to such a configuration, when the inspection object is caught by the X-ray leakage prevention nozzle and is inclined while the inspection object is being conveyed, the inspection object contacts the guide member. Then, since the inspection object does not tilt any further, the inspection object does not fall down.

  In the X-ray foreign object detection device, the guide member may have a cylindrical shape. According to this configuration, the contact surface between the guide member and the object to be inspected can be made small, so that when the object to be inspected comes into contact with the guide member, it is difficult to get caught by the guide member. That is, it is possible to prevent a problem that the inspection object is caught between the conveying unit and the guide member and is crushed due to the inspection object being caught by the guide member.

  In the X-ray foreign object detection apparatus, the guide member has a rectangular column shape with a rectangular cross section, and is arranged so that a short side of the rectangle is located on a conveyance path side of the inspection object. You may do it. Also in this case, since the contact surface between the guide member and the object to be inspected can be reduced, it is possible to prevent the object to be inspected from being caught by the guide member when it inclines and contacts the guide member.

  In the above X-ray foreign object detection device, the guide member is a rope-like member that is driven to circulate, and the rope-like member is driven in the conveyance direction of the inspection object above the inspection object conveyance path. You may make it do. According to this configuration, even if the inspection object is inclined and caught on the guide member, the hooked portion is also conveyed in the conveyance direction, so that the inspection object is sandwiched between the conveyance means and the guide member and crushed. Can be prevented.

  The X-ray foreign object detection device may further include a vertical drive device that moves the guide member in the vertical direction. According to such a configuration, the guide member can be quickly disposed at an appropriate height position even if the type of the inspection object changes.

  According to the present invention, when the inspection object is caught by the X-ray leakage prevention noren during the conveyance of the inspection object and tilted, the inspection object can be prevented from falling by being brought into contact with the guide member. That is, it is possible to forcibly prevent the inspection object from falling down.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment is demonstrated. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a lightweight inspection object S having a cup shape is inspected. FIG. 1 is a front view of an X-ray foreign object detection device 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the X-ray foreign object detection device 100 according to the present embodiment. 1 and 2 show a state where the front door is opened so that the inside can be seen, but the front door is closed during operation. As shown in FIG. 1, an X-ray foreign object detection apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes an examination room 1, an X-ray irradiator 2, an X-ray detector 3, a transport unit 4, and an X-ray leakage prevention noren 5. And a guide member 6 and a control unit 7.

  The inspection room 1 is a room for inspecting the inspection object S. The inspection chamber 1 has a carry-in port 8 for the inspection object S on one side (left side in FIG. 1) and a carry-out port 9 on the other side (right side in FIG. 1). The inspection chamber 1 has a cylindrical shape with the entrance 8 and the exit 9 as openings (a state where the front door in FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed). The inspection object S is carried in from the carry-in port 8 of the examination room 1, passes through the inside, and is carried out from the carry-out port 9.

  The X-ray irradiator 2 has a function of irradiating the examination room 1 with X-rays. Here, an enlarged schematic view of the X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 3A and 3B are enlarged schematic views of the vicinity of the examination room 1 of the X-ray foreign object detection device 100, wherein FIG. 3A is an enlarged schematic diagram of the front, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged schematic diagram of the right side. Note that FIG. 3 shows the extension of the X-ray beam irradiated with the one-dot chain line (the same applies to FIGS. 4 to 6). The X-ray irradiator 2 (X-ray generator tube) is disposed above the examination room 1, and X-rays are irradiated from the top surface (upper inner wall surface) of the examination room 1 to the inside of the examination room 1. . The X-ray beam irradiated from the X-ray irradiator 2 has a small thickness in the transport direction, and has a fan shape when viewed from the entrance 8 of the examination room 1. In addition, the “transport direction” refers to the direction in which the inspection object S is transported, and in this embodiment, refers to the direction from the carry-in entrance 8 toward the carry-out exit 9 (the right side in FIG. 3A). .

  The X-ray detector 3 has a function of detecting X-rays. The X-ray detector 3 is disposed below the examination room 1 (specifically, between belts 11 that are circulated and driven by a conveying means 4 described later) and at a position corresponding to the X-ray irradiator 2. . That is, the X-ray detector 3 is disposed so as to face the X-ray irradiator 2 across the internal space of the examination room 1. The X-ray detector 3 according to the present embodiment is a so-called line sensor in which a detection unit (not shown) for detecting X-rays has an elongated shape, and the detection unit is in a direction in which the inspection object S is conveyed. It is arranged to extend in the vertical direction. Note that data relating to X-rays detected by the X-ray detector 3 is sent to the control unit 7.

  The transport unit 4 has a function of transporting the inspection object S. The transport means 4 according to the present embodiment is a so-called belt conveyor, and is positioned below the inspection chamber 1 and forms the bottom surface (lower surface) of the inner wall surface of the inspection chamber 1. In the transport means 4, the wide belt 11 is circulated and driven by the drive units 10 disposed at three points near the transport inlet 8, near the transport outlet 9, and below them in the inspection room 1. Then, by placing the inspection object S on the belt 11, the inspection object S can be conveyed from the carry-in port 8 to the carry-out port 9 of the inspection room 1. At this time, the inspection object S is transported across the X-ray irradiation region R formed between the X-ray irradiator 2 and the X-ray detector 3. The X-ray irradiation region R here refers to a region irradiated with X-rays (in other words, a region through which an X-ray beam passes), and in FIG. 3B, a region surrounded by a one-dot chain line. Say.

  The X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 has a function of preventing X-rays from leaking outside the X-ray foreign object detection device 100. The X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 is provided at four locations near the entrance 8 of the examination room 1, between the entrance 8 and the X-ray irradiation region R, near the exit 9, and between the exit 9 and the X-ray irradiation region R. It is arranged. That is, the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 is provided at two locations on the carry-in entrance 8 side when viewed from the X-ray irradiation region R and at two locations on the exit port 9 side when viewed from the X-ray irradiation region R. Further, the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 is obtained by cutting a soft resin sheet containing lead so that a plurality of strip members are formed. In other words, the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 is composed of a plurality of strip members 12 arranged in each width direction so as to form a sheet shape as a whole. Each strip member 12 is sandwiched by a sandwiching member 13 above the strip member 12. That is, each strip member 12 is connected via the holding member 13.

  The guide member 6 has a function of preventing the inspection object S from falling down. The guide member 6 according to the present embodiment is disposed so as not to block the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray irradiator 2. That is, the guide member 6 is disposed at two locations on the carry-in port 8 side and the carry-out port 9 side with the X-ray irradiation region R as a boundary. Regarding the height position, the guide member 6 is disposed above the inspection object S conveyed by the conveying means 4, that is, above the passage of the inspection object S. Of the guide members 6 disposed in two places, the guide member 6 disposed on the carry-in entrance 8 side passes through the inside of the examination chamber 1 from the outside of the carry-in entrance 8 to the vicinity of the X-ray irradiation region R in the transport direction. Is distracted. During this time, the guide member 6 passes so as to pass between the strip members 12 of the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 disposed at two places on the carry-in entrance 8 side. Similarly, the guide member 6 disposed on the carry-out port 9 side extends in the transport direction from the vicinity of the X-ray irradiation region R to the outside of the carry-out port 9 through the inspection chamber 1. During this time, the guide member 6 passes through the strip members 12 of the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 disposed at two places on the carry-out port 9 side.

  Further, the guide member 6 according to the present embodiment has a columnar shape (round bar shape) with the conveyance direction of the inspection object S as an axis, and the surface of the guide member 6 is formed smoothly. The guide member 6 is attached to the main body of the X-ray foreign object detection device 100 by an attachment member (not shown). The mounting member may be a hard member such as a metal fitting or a flexible member that can be easily bent. When a flexible attachment member is used as the guide member 6, the attachment member can absorb some force when the inspection object S comes into contact with the guide member 6.

  Moreover, the diameter of the guide member 6 is very small with respect to the length in the vertical direction of the strip member 12 constituting the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5, whereby the strip member 12 and the guide member 6 X-rays leaking from the gap can be eliminated, or the amount of leakage can be kept to a very small amount. The height position of the guide member 6 is determined by the size and shape of the product (inspection object S). In this embodiment, when the inspection object S is inclined backward (in the direction opposite to the conveying direction of the inspection object S) with the point having the bottom as a fulcrum and contacts the guide member 6, the front side of the inspection object S (the object to be inspected) The height position of the guide member 6 is set so that the center of gravity of the inspection object S is positioned in the conveyance direction of the inspection object S).

  The control unit 7 is a part that performs each setting, operation, and control of the entire X-ray foreign object detection apparatus 100 and displays and stores various information. The control unit 7 according to the present embodiment has a touch screen 14, and the entire X-ray foreign object detection device 100 is set and operated from the touch screen 14. Further, the control unit 7 acquires a transmission image of the inspection object S based on the data relating to the X-rays sent from the X-ray detector 3, and whether or not the inspection object S contains foreign matter from the transmission image. Judging. In addition, since the control part 7 which concerns on this embodiment has a known structure, detailed description about the control method and the analysis method of data is abbreviate | omitted.

The above is the configuration of the X-ray foreign object detection device 100 according to the present embodiment. Since the X-ray foreign object detection device 100 according to the present embodiment includes the guide member 6 above the passage of the inspection object S, the X-ray leakage occurs when the inspection object S passes the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5. Even if it is a case where it is caught by the prevention noren 5 and tilted, the inspection object S contacts the guide member 6 and does not tilt any further, and does not fall down. More specifically, when the inspection object S tilts backward and comes into contact with the guide member 6, the tilting operation is stopped by the guide member 6. At this time, since the center of gravity of the inspection object S is located in front of the fulcrum as described above, the inspection object S returns to the original posture by gravity. Further, even when the inspection object S is maintained in an inclined state while passing through the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5, the guide member 6 has a cylindrical shape, so that the inspection object S The contact area is small, and the inspection object S slides on the surface of the guide member 6 and is not caught by the guide member 6. For this reason, there is no problem that the inspection object S is caught between the conveying means 4 and the guide member 6 and is crushed due to the inspection object S being caught by the guide member 6.
(Second Embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus 200 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the X-ray foreign object detection apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 4A is an enlarged schematic diagram of the front surface, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged schematic diagram of the right side surface. As shown in FIG. 4, the X-ray foreign object detection device 200 according to the present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the X-ray foreign object detection device 100 according to the first embodiment in that the guide member 6 has a prismatic shape. Is different.

More specifically, the guide member 6 according to the present embodiment has a prismatic (plate-like) shape with a rectangular cross section, and is arranged so that the short side of the rectangle is located on the conveyance path side of the inspection object. Yes. That is, when the inspection object S is inclined, the guide member 6 is disposed so that the inspection object S contacts the rectangular short side. Even in such a configuration, as in the case of the first embodiment, the width (thickness) of the short side of the guide member 6 is equal to the vertical length of the strip member 12 that constitutes the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5. Therefore, X-rays leaking from between the strip member 12 and the guide member 6 can be eliminated or the amount of leakage can be suppressed to a very small amount. Moreover, since the contact area with the to-be-inspected object S is small when the to-be-inspected object S inclines, the to-be-inspected object S is pinched between the conveying means 4 and the guide member 6 when the to-be-inspected object S tilts. , Can be prevented from being crushed. Furthermore, since the guide member 6 according to the present embodiment has a prismatic (plate-like) shape, the cross-sectional area can be increased compared to the guide member 6 according to the first embodiment, and the strength is increased. can do.
(Third embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus 300 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the X-ray foreign object detection device 300 according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 5A is an enlarged schematic diagram of the front surface, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged schematic diagram of the right side surface. In FIG. 5B, a part of the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5 is omitted so that the inside of the examination room 1 can be seen (the same applies to FIG. 6B). As shown in FIG. 5, the X-ray foreign object detection device 300 according to the present embodiment is an X-ray foreign object detection device according to the first embodiment in that the guide member 6 is a rope-like member (round belt) that is driven to circulate. 100 and the configuration is different.

  More specifically, the X-ray foreign object detection device 300 according to the present embodiment is above the conveyance path of the inspection object S, near the carry-in entrance 8 near the X-ray irradiation region R, and near the X-ray irradiation region R. Rotation drive units 15 are provided at four locations on the carry-out port 9 side, the outside of the carry-in port 8, and the outside of the carry-out port 9. Each rotation drive unit 15 rotates about a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the inspection object S as an axis. The guide member 6 (rope member) is annular so as to pass the rotation drive unit 15 disposed outside the carry-in port 8 and the rotation drive unit 15 disposed on the carry-in port 8 side in the vicinity of the X-ray irradiation region R. Is attached. Similarly, the guide member 6 is annular so as to pass the rotation drive unit 15 disposed on the side of the carry-out port 9 near the X-ray irradiation region R and the rotation drive unit 15 disposed on the outside of the carry-out port 9. Is attached. Then, as the rotation drive unit 15 rotates, the guide member 6 is driven to circulate. When the guide member 6 circulates on the lower side, the rotation drive unit 15 rotates so as to drive in the conveyance direction of the inspection object S (rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5).

  The driving speed of the guide member 6 is preferably the same as or higher than the transport speed of the inspection object S by the transport means 4. For example, when the driving speed of the guide member 6 is made faster than the transport speed, when the inspection object S falls back (on the carry-in entrance 8 side) and comes into contact with the guide member 6, a forward force acts on the contacted portion. The body posture can be quickly recovered as compared with the case where the guide member 6 is not driven. Further, if the driving speed of the guide member 6 is about the same as the conveyance speed of the inspection object S, the contacted portion moves at the same speed as the tilting fulcrum, so that the inspection object S remains in contact with the guide member 6. It is not dragged, and no trace of rubbing on the inspection object S remains.

In addition, the diameter of the guide member 6 is very small with respect to the length in the vertical direction of the strip member 12 constituting the X-ray leakage prevention noren 5, so that the gap between the strip member 12 and the guide member 6 is reduced. X-rays leaking from the device can be eliminated or the amount of leakage can be kept to a very small amount.
(Fourth embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus 400 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the X-ray foreign object detection device 400 according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 6A is an enlarged schematic view of the front, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged schematic diagram of the right side. As shown in FIG. 4, the X-ray foreign object detection device 400 according to the present embodiment has an X-ray foreign object detection device according to the second embodiment in that the guide member 6 has a prismatic (plate-like) shape. The configuration is the same as that of the X-ray foreign object detection device 200 according to the second embodiment, except that the configuration includes the vertical drive device 16 that moves the guide member 6 in the vertical direction.

  More specifically, the X-ray foreign object detection device 400 according to the present embodiment includes the vertical drive device 16 (for example, an actuator having a pulse motor) on the side surface side of the examination room 1 (the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 6A). I have. The vertical drive device 16 has a support member 17 extending horizontally inside the examination chamber 1, and the tip of the support member 17 is coupled to the side surface of the guide member 6. The vertical drive device 16 is controlled by the control unit 7 (see FIG. 1), and the guide member 6 can be moved in the vertical direction by driving the support member 17 in the vertical direction. The operation of the vertical drive device 16 may be controlled manually or automatically. In the case of automatic control, the appropriate height of the guide member 6 is stored in advance in the control unit 7 for each product (inspection object S), and the product is selected by the touch screen 14 so that the vertical drive device 16 can move the product. You may make it drive so that it may become a height position corresponding to.

  According to the present invention, when the inspection object is caught by the X-ray leakage prevention noren during the conveyance of the inspection object, the inspection object does not contact the guide member and fall down. A fall can be forcibly prevented. Therefore, it is useful in the technical field of X-ray foreign matter detection apparatus.

It is a front view of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a right view of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a partially enlarged schematic view of an X-ray foreign object detection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial expansion schematic of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expansion schematic diagram of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expansion schematic diagram of the X-ray foreign material detection apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100, 200, 300, 400 X-ray foreign object detection device 1 Inspection room 2 X-ray irradiator 3 X-ray detector 4 Conveying means 5 X-ray leakage prevention noren 6 Guide member 8 Carry-in port 9 Carry-out port 12 Strip member 16 Vertical drive device S Inspected object R Irradiation area

Claims (2)

An inspection room having an entrance and an exit for the inspection object;
An X-ray irradiator that irradiates the examination room with X-rays to form an X-ray irradiation region;
An X-ray detector that is disposed opposite the X-ray irradiator so as to sandwich the examination room and detects the X-ray;
A transport means for transporting an object to be inspected from the carry-in entrance to the carry-out exit so as to cross the X-ray irradiation region;
Consisting of a plurality of strip members, X-ray leakage prevention noren provided on the carry-in side and the carry-out side of the X-ray irradiation region,
A guide member disposed above the conveyance path of the inspection object and extending between the strip members and extending in the conveyance direction of the inspection object ,
The guide member is a rope-like member that is driven to circulate, and the rope-like member is driven in the conveyance direction of the inspection object above the conveyance path of the inspection object,
The X-ray foreign object detection device , wherein a driving speed of the guide member is higher than a conveyance speed of the inspection object by the conveyance means . The X-ray foreign matter detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a vertical drive device that moves the guide member in a vertical direction.

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