JP5680494B2 - Cylindrical member inspection method and inspection apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is, for example, an inspection method (inspection method) for inspecting the appearance of an outer diameter surface of a cylindrical member such as a cylindrical roller used for a cylindrical roller bearing or a needle roller used for a needle roller bearing (for example, inspection for the presence or absence of wrinkles). And an inspection apparatus.

  The cylindrical roller used for the cylindrical roller bearing is movably interposed between a raceway surface formed on the inner diameter surface of the outer ring and a raceway surface formed on the outer diameter surface of the inner ring. For this reason, if wrinkles are present on the outer diameter surface of such a cylindrical roller, a high-quality product (cylindrical roller bearing) that rotates smoothly cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the outer surface of such a cylindrical member for wrinkles. Conventionally, a driving roller that rotates in a predetermined direction at a fixed position, a fixed holding unit that supplies the work to the upper surface of the outer periphery of the driving roller and holds the work rotatably at a fixed position, and a work roller that rotates at a fixed position. There is an appearance inspection apparatus provided with an appearance detection unit that optically inspects the presence or absence of surface wrinkles (Patent Document 1). The appearance detection unit can be configured by a detection camera, a displacement sensor, or the like.

  Moreover, as an apparatus for inspecting the presence or absence of wrinkles on the outer diameter surface of such a cylindrical member, a plurality of workpieces are continuously conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side, and arranged in parallel in the inspection unit. There is one in which each work is rotated about its axis by a pair of rotating rollers, and an image of the work is captured by an imaging camera in this state (Patent Document 2).

  In other words, the one disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a method in which a workpiece continuously passes through the imaging area of the imaging camera (through feed method), and the workpiece is continuously imaged. Then, the image capturing process, the appearance inspection process, and the determination process are performed in parallel.

JP-A-9-72850 JP 2005-10036 A

  In Patent Document 1, when a workpiece is rotated, the workpiece is pressed by a pressing roller. However, there is a case where slip occurs between the workpiece and a driving roller. If slippage occurs between the workpiece and the driving roller in this way, it is impossible to inspect the wrinkles over the entire circumference of the workpiece.

  In Patent Document 2, the work conveying means is a mechanism (structure) that sandwiches a work between a belt and a friction drive roller. However, the sensor for obtaining the imaging timing and the workpiece moving speed at the imaging camera position are determined only by the friction condition between the rotating roller and the workpiece. For this reason, the moving speed of the workpiece is not necessarily constant. If the movement speed varies as described above, a gap may be generated between the workpieces. As described above, if a gap is generated, a phenomenon in which the imaging position of the workpiece is shifted with respect to the imaging trigger occurs, and the possibility of erroneous determination is increased.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, there is no means for determining whether or not the work to be inspected has made one revolution around its axis, and the reliability of whether or not the inspected work has made one revolution is inferior. It cannot be said that the entire circumference (the entire circumferential direction) is being inspected.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection apparatus capable of stably detecting the appearance inspection of the entire circumference of the workpiece without processing the workpiece that is the object to be inspected or mounting other parts. It is to propose an inspection method.

  An inspection method (inspection method) according to the present invention is an inspection method for detecting an outer diameter surface which is a cylindrical surface of a workpiece, and includes a pair of rotating shafts whose rotational axes are arranged in parallel to each other. With the work supported, the rotating body is brought into contact with the work, and the pair of rotating shafts are driven to rotate, whereby the rotating body is rotated together with the work, and slip occurs between the rotating shaft and the work. Without detecting the rotation state of the rotating body at a reference time during which the workpiece makes one rotation around its axis, and determining whether or not there is slippage between the workpiece and the rotation shaft based on this rotation state. The image of a plurality of workpieces is continuously imaged.

  According to the inspection method of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not there is slip between the workpiece and the rotating shaft, and it is possible to inspect stably over the entire circumferential direction of the workpiece. Moreover, continuous inspection of a plurality of workpieces can be performed.

  The image data of the workpiece is an image having an inclination proportional to the passing speed of the workpiece, and it is preferable to correct the image data and replace it with a vertical image.

  An inspection apparatus according to the present invention is an inspection apparatus for inspecting a cylindrical surface of a workpiece at an inspection section, wherein a pair of rotation shafts having rotational axes arranged in parallel to receive the workpiece and the rotation A driving means for rotating the shaft to rotate the work around its axis, a rotating body that contacts the work and the rotational force from the rotating shaft is transmitted through the work, and between the rotating shaft and the work A detecting means for detecting the rotation state of the rotating body at a reference time when the work rotates once around its axis without slipping, and the rotation shaft and the work based on the detected value detected by the detecting means. A judging means for judging whether or not slippage has occurred, a work feeding means for sending a plurality of works received by a pair of rotating shafts in series to an inspection section having a detecting means, and an inspection Inspection of work appearance It is obtained by a image unit.

  In the inspection apparatus of the present invention, first, the rotating body is brought into contact with the workpiece while the workpiece is supported by the pair of rotating shafts. In this state, the rotating shaft is driven. As a result, the work and the rotating body rotate. Further, the workpiece feeding means can continuously convey a plurality of workpieces in series to the inspection unit having the detection means. And in an inspection part, the external appearance of a workpiece | work can be test | inspected with an imaging means.

  By the way, there is a case where slip occurs between the workpiece and the rotating shaft. If slippage occurs, the detection of the entire circumference of the workpiece becomes unstable. For this reason, in this inspection apparatus, it is determined whether slipping has occurred or not. The detection means of this inspection apparatus detects the rotation state of the rotating body at the reference time when the work rotates once around its axis without slipping between the rotating shaft and the work. That is, if no slip occurs, the rotating body makes one rotation within a reference time in which the workpiece makes one rotation around its axis. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not slipping has occurred by detecting the rotational state of the rotating body. If slippage has occurred, detection can be performed again on the workpiece so that the entire circumference of the workpiece can be detected, or detection can be performed by rotating the workpiece once around its axis. Good.

  Moreover, it is preferable to provide a workpiece passage confirmation means for determining whether or not the workpiece has passed the inspection section. The workpiece passage confirmation means may be provided with a downstream end detection sensor that is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the pair of rotating shafts and detects the downstream end of the most downstream workpiece. Furthermore, the workpiece passage confirmation means may include a joint detection sensor that detects a joint between workpieces that are continuously conveyed in series.

  The imaging unit may perform imaging processing using a signal from the workpiece passage confirmation unit as a trigger. By setting in this way, an imaging process can be performed only when the passage is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means. For example, a line sensor camera can be used as the imaging means. Here, the line sensor camera is a sensor in which photosensitive portions that receive light are arranged in a line, has pixels arranged in a line, and is a camera that can acquire a one-dimensional image. In other words, the line sensor camera is a camera that has only one line of CCD (solid-state imaging device) and can capture only one line as an image.

  It is preferable to include a sorting unit that sorts the workpiece determined by the inspection unit into a defective product discharge side and a non-defective product discharge side. By providing the sorting means in this way, the workpiece can be automatically sorted into a defective product and a non-defective product.

  When a workpiece determined to be defective by the inspection unit is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means, the workpiece conveyance is stopped, and the workpiece determined to be defective is moved to the defective product discharge side by the sorting means. It is preferable to distribute them. By setting in this way, a defective product can be stably discharged to the defective product discharge side.

  What provided the pushing means which presses the said rotary body to the workpiece | work which is the said to-be-inspected object is preferable. By providing the pushing means in this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of slipping between the workpiece and the rotating shaft.

  The rotating body has a plurality of recesses arranged on the outer diameter surface at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the detection means counts a pulse number obtained from the recess count number within the reference time. It may have.

  By providing such a sensor, it is possible to detect the rotational speed (rotational speed) which is the rotational state of the rotating body.

  The push-in means includes a swing lever that pivots the rotating body and swings the rotating body toward and away from the workpiece, and elastically moves the rotating lever in a direction that the rotating body approaches the workpiece. It may be provided with an elastic member that presses against. As described above, the apparatus including the swing lever, the elastic member, and the like can elastically press the work as the object to be inspected, and can generate a constant frictional force between the work and the rotating shaft. it can.

  In the present invention, if there is no slip between the workpiece and the rotating shaft, the imaging means can inspect the entire circumference of the workpiece, and if slip has occurred, it is determined that slip has occurred. it can. For this reason, the workpiece | work which has not complete | finished the test | inspection of the perimeter does not become a quality product, but it can perform a stable test | inspection. A plurality of workpieces can be continuously conveyed in series to the inspection unit having the detection means, a plurality of workpieces can be continuously inspected, and work efficiency can be improved. For this reason, it is not necessary to stop the conveyance of the workpiece when the workpiece is imaged by the imaging means, and a lot of workpieces can be inspected in a short time, thereby improving workability. In addition, a mechanism for stopping the workpiece (such as a fixed-distribution mechanism used in a conventional inspection apparatus) is not required, and the cost can be reduced.

  In the case of including the workpiece passage confirmation means, it is possible to effectively prevent an erroneous determination such as determining that a workpiece that has not been inspected as a non-defective product, even though the workpiece has not passed. If the workpiece passage confirmation means includes a downstream end detection sensor, the workpiece passage confirmation can be confirmed stably. In addition, in the case where the joint detection sensor is provided, it can be determined whether or not a gap is generated between the workpieces arranged in series, and an imaging position shift caused by the gap can be prevented.

  In the case of performing imaging processing using a signal from the workpiece passage confirmation means as a trigger, imaging processing can be performed only when passage is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means, so that unnecessary processing is eliminated and efficient inspection is possible.

  By providing the sorting means, the workpiece can be automatically sorted into a defective product and a non-defective product, and a continuous sorting work can be performed, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, if the work is stopped and the defective product is discharged to the defective product discharge side, stable sorting work between the defective product and the non-defective product is possible, and the defective product is stably discharged to the defective product discharge side. be able to.

  In the case where the pushing means is provided, the reliability of prevention of slipping of the workpiece which is the object to be inspected is improved. When the rotating body has a plurality of recesses and the detection means has a sensor for counting the number of pulses, the rotational speed (rotational speed) of the rotating body can be detected, and the rotating state of the rotating body Detection is stable.

It is a front view of the inspection apparatus of the present invention. It is a principal part front view of the said inspection apparatus. It is a principal part top view of the said inspection apparatus. It is a principal part enlarged front view of the said inspection apparatus. It is a side view which shows the imaging means of the said inspection apparatus. It is a side view which shows the pushing-in means of the said inspection apparatus. It is a side view of the inspection device. It is a principal part expanded sectional side view of the said inspection apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the alignment member of the said inspection apparatus. The rotary body used for the detection means of the said inspection apparatus is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view. It is a simplified block diagram of the control part of the inspection device. It is a flowchart figure which shows the control method by the said control part. It is a flowchart figure which shows the control method by another control part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 shows an inspection apparatus according to the present invention, which detects wrinkles on the outer diameter surface, which is a cylindrical surface of the workpiece W, using the imaging means 130. The workpiece W is a cylindrical member such as a cylindrical roller bearing or a cylindrical roller or a needle roller of a needle roller bearing. In addition, as the imaging unit 130, the imaging camera 10 (for example, a line sensor camera) is used. Here, the line sensor camera is a sensor in which photosensitive portions that receive light are arranged in a line, has pixels arranged in a line, and is a camera that can acquire a one-dimensional image. In other words, the line sensor camera is a camera that has only one line of CCD (solid-state imaging device) and can capture only one line as an image.

  The inspection apparatus includes a speed stabilizing unit 3, an inspection unit 4, and a discharge unit 5, and a plurality of workpieces W are arranged in series and supplied from an alignment device (part feeder) 1 through a supply path 2. The alignment apparatus 1 includes a main body 1a in which a vibration driving unit, a controller, and the like are housed, and a bowl 1b disposed on the upper portion of the main body 1a.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and the like, the inspection unit 4 includes a pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12 in which rotating shaft centers L1 and L2 (see FIG. 6) are arranged in parallel to each other. The rotary shafts 11 and 12 are pivotally supported by support members 14 and 15 erected on the base 13 via bearings 17 and are held at the same height. A plurality of (a plurality of) workpieces W are arranged in series on the rotary shafts 11 and 12. That is, it will be in the state dropped into the recessed part 18 (refer FIG. 6) between the rotating shafts 11 and 12. FIG. In this case, the base 13 is disposed on the base 16 via the connecting plate 9, the base 16 is installed via the tilt base 19, and the rotary shafts 11 and 12 are inclined at a predetermined angle. For this reason, each workpiece | work W will be in the state which moves to the arrow X direction (refer FIG. 1) with dead weight. The inclined base 19 includes a base portion 19a whose upper surface is an inclined surface, and the base 16 is disposed on the base portion 19a. In addition, in the downward inclination side of the rotating shafts 11 and 12, it calls a downstream, and the other side is called an upstream.

  The pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12 are rotated in the directions of arrows A and A as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the driving unit 20 includes a driving motor 21 and a transmission mechanism 22 that transmits the rotational driving force of the driving motor 21 to the rotary shafts 11 and 12. The transmission mechanism 22 includes a shaft member 23, a belt structure 24 that transmits the driving force of the drive motor 21 to the shaft member 23, and a gear structure 25 that transmits the rotational driving force from the shaft member 23 to the rotating shafts 11 and 12. With.

  The shaft member 23 is rotatably supported by the support 15 and the support 26 erected on the base 13 via a bearing 17. The belt structure 24 is wound around the pulley 24a that is externally fitted to the output shaft 21a of the drive motor 21, the pulley 24b that is externally fitted to one end of the shaft member 23, and the pulleys 24a and 24b. Belt 24c. The gear structure 25 includes a gear 25a that is externally fitted to the other end of the shaft member 23, and gear members 25b and 25b that mesh with the gear 25a. The gear members 25 b and 25 b are connected to the end portion 27 on the upstream side of the rotary shafts 11 and 12.

  Therefore, by driving the drive motor 21, the output shaft 21 a rotates, and this rotational force is transmitted to the shaft member 23 via the belt structure 24, and the shaft member 23 rotates about its axis. When the shaft member 23 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the rotating bodies 11 and 12 through the gear structure 25 and rotates in the direction of arrow A around the shaft centers L1 and L2. As a result, the workpiece W rotates about its axis in the direction of arrow E.

  The inspection unit 4 is provided with pushing means 30 for pushing the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. 6, the pushing means 30 includes a swing lever 32 that pivotally supports a rotating body 31 that presses the workpiece W, and an elastic member 33 that presses the swing lever 32 downward. As shown in FIG. 10, the rotating body 31 includes a rotating roller 35 and a disk body 36 having a plurality of recesses 36 a disposed on the outer peripheral surface at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.

  The base of the swing lever 32 is pivotally supported by a block body 37 disposed on the base 13, and the rotating body 31 is pivotally connected to the tip thereof. The block body 37 is provided with a hole 38 for accommodating the elastic member 33, and an adjustment rod 39 for adjusting the elastic force of the elastic member 33 is disposed above the hole 38. That is, a rod support 40 is attached to the block body 37, and a screw shaft constituting the adjustment rod 39 is screwed to the rod support 40. For this reason, the pressing force of the swing lever 32 by the elastic member 33 can be adjusted by screwing the adjustment rod 39 back and forth.

  In this case, the rotating roller 35 of the rotating body 31 comes into contact with the outer diameter surface of the workpiece W and rotates in synchronization with the rotation around the axis of the workpiece W. Therefore, in the present invention, the detection unit 50 that detects the rotation state of the rotating body 31 is provided. That is, the detection unit 50 can be configured by, for example, the photoelectric sensor 51. In this case, the rotational speed (rotation speed) of the rotating body 31 is detected by reading the recess 36a of the rotating rotating body 31. For this reason, the photoelectric sensor 51 is disposed above the disc body 36 of the rotating body 31 and is held by the rod support 40. That is, the peripheral speed of the rotating shafts 11 and 12 is controlled to be constant, and even if the outer diameter of the measured workpiece W changes, the diameter difference between the rotating shafts 11 and 12 and the diameter of the workpiece W is obtained. The required number of pulses according to the diameter can be obtained. A plurality of pushing means 30 and detecting means 50 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the work conveyance direction (work movement direction).

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 5, the imaging camera 10 is attached to an adjustment table 56 provided on a support table 55 erected from the base 16. The support base 55 includes a support base main body 55a and a receiving base 55b disposed above the support base main body 55a. The adjustment base 56 is provided with arrows X1 and X2 via the guide mechanism 57 on the receiving base 55b. It is supported so that it can reciprocate in the direction. The imaging camera 10 is supported by a substrate 58, and this substrate 58 is supported by an adjustment base 56 through a guide mechanism 59 so as to be able to reciprocate in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2. Thus, the imaging range of the imaging camera 10 can be adjusted by moving the adjustment base 56 in the directions of the arrows X1, X2, Y1, and Y2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and the like, a workpiece pop-out prevention member 45 is disposed on the downstream side of the pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12. The workpiece pop-out preventing member 45 is disposed above the downstream side of the pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12 so as to cover the workpiece W conveyed downstream.

  The speed stabilizing unit 3 includes a workpiece feeding unit 46 that continuously feeds a plurality of workpieces W in series to the inspection unit 4 having the detecting unit 50. The work feeding means 46 includes a rotating disk 60, a driving mechanism 61 that rotates the rotating disk 60 about its axis, and a roller mechanism 62 that prevents the workpiece W from lifting in the radial direction.

  That is, the frame 65 is erected on the base 16 of the tilting table 19 via the guide mechanism 63, and the rotating disk 60 is rotatably supported by the frame 65. In this case, a shaft portion 66 disposed in a direction orthogonal to the base 16 is connected to the rotating disk 60, and this shaft portion 66 is pivotally supported by a cylindrical boss portion 68 via a bearing 67. The cylindrical boss portion 68 is fixed to the support substrate 69 of the frame body 65.

  The drive mechanism 61 includes a drive motor (servo motor) 70 and a transmission mechanism 71 that transmits the rotational driving force of the motor 70 to the shaft portion 66. That is, the transmission mechanism 71 includes a pulley 72 that is externally fitted to the output shaft 70 a of the motor 70, a pulley 73 that is externally fitted to the lower portion of the shaft portion 66, and a belt 74 that is wound around the pulleys 72 and 73. . For this reason, when the driving motor 70 is driven, this rotational driving force is transmitted to the shaft portion 66 via the transmission mechanism 71, and the rotary disk 60 rotates. As a result, the workpiece W is subjected to appropriate traction, and a plurality of workpieces W are supplied (conveyed) to the inspection unit 4 in a linearly connected state.

  The roller mechanism 62 includes a roller 77 in which a pivot shaft 76a is disposed via a bearing 76b at an axial center portion thereof. The roller 77 has a thin portion 77 a formed on the outer diameter portion thereof, and the thin portion 77 a contacts the workpiece W. The workpiece W is guided by the guide member 80. The guide member 80 is formed with a passage 81 having a triangular cross section that expands downward. The passage 81 is provided with an opening 81a that opens upward, and the thin portion 77a of the roller 77 contacts the workpiece W exposed through the opening 81a.

  The pivot shaft 76 a is supported by the arm portion 82, and an appropriate load is applied to the workpiece W by the roller 77 by applying an elastic force of the elastic member 83 to the arm portion 82. That is, the base portion of the arm portion 82 is pivotally supported on the frame body 65 side, and a lifting force is applied by the elastic member 83 to adjust the pressing force to the workpiece W due to the weight of the roller mechanism 62.

  Further, above the roller mechanism 62, a brake unit 85 that forcibly stops (blocks) the conveyance of the workpiece W is disposed. The brake means 85 is constituted by a cylinder mechanism 86. That is, a support plate 87 is provided on the frame body 65 side, and the cylinder body 86a of the cylinder mechanism 86 is suspended from the support plate 87. In a normal state, the piston rod 86b is separated from the roller 77 of the roller mechanism 62. ing. When the workpiece W is blocked, the piston rod 86b extends to press the roller 77 of the roller mechanism 62. As a result, the arm portion 82 is pushed downward, the work W is sandwiched between the roller 77 and the rotating disk 60, and is forcibly stopped.

  The discharge unit 5 is provided with an alignment member 90. As shown in FIG. 9, the alignment member 90 is configured by a block body 91 having a V-shaped groove 91 a in which a workpiece W is fitted on the surface, and the block body 91 is formed on the base 13 and a leg portion 92. (Refer to FIG. 2 etc.). The block body 91 constituting the alignment member 90 is provided with a pressing mechanism 95 that applies an appropriate frictional force to the workpiece W. Thus, the pressing mechanism 95 is provided to prevent the workpiece W from falling by its own weight and to prevent a gap from being generated between the workpieces.

  The pressing mechanism 95 includes a swing arm 96 and a spring member 97 that presses the swing arm 96. In this case, a support frame body 98 is erected on the block body 91, and an adjustment mechanism 99 that adjusts the spring force of the spring member 97 is provided on the support frame body 98. That is, the support frame 98 has a leg portion 98a and a support plate 98b provided continuously with the upper portion of the leg portion 98a, and an adjustment mechanism 99 is provided on the support plate 98b. The adjustment mechanism 99 includes a screw shaft 99a that is screwed to the support plate 98b, and a lower portion of the screw shaft 99a and the anti-pivot support portion side of the swing arm 96 are connected by a spring member 97. In addition, a cylinder 94 capable of high-speed driving is provided on the upper side of the swing arm 96 for further increasing the pressing force of the spring member 97 and using it together with the brake means 85.

  Further, in the vicinity of the alignment member 90, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, etc., a workpiece passage confirmation means 100 for confirming that the inspection portion 4 has been passed is provided. The workpiece passage confirmation means 100 uses a transmission type sensor 101 including a projector 101a and a light receiver 101b. That is, signal light is emitted from the projector 101a, the change in the amount of light shielded by the workpiece W is detected by the light receiver 101b, and an output signal is obtained. Therefore, the workpiece passage confirmation means 100 can be called a downstream end detection sensor that is disposed on the downstream side of the pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12 in the conveying direction and detects the downstream end of the most downstream workpiece. In this way, it is possible to determine whether or not the workpiece W has passed this position by the workpiece passage confirmation means 100 configured by the transmission type sensor 101.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and the like, the workpiece passage confirmation unit 100 includes a joint detection sensor 102 that detects joints between workpieces that are continuously conveyed in series. This detection sensor 102 is a reflection type sensor. The reflection type sensor emits signal light from the light projecting unit and detects light reflected by the detection object (work W) by the light receiving unit.

  Product distribution means 110 is provided downstream of the alignment member 90. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the product distribution means 110 is a conversion having a non-defective product guide groove 111a for guiding the workpiece W to the non-defective product discharge side and a defective product guide groove 111b for guiding the work W to the defective product discharge side. A block body 111 is provided. The conversion block body 111 swings in the directions of arrows G and H by a cylinder mechanism 112 (see FIG. 2 and the like). That is, when the conversion block body 111 is slid in the direction of the arrow G, the V-shaped groove 91a of the alignment member 90 and the non-defective guide groove 111a are in communication with each other. Further, when the conversion block body 111 is slid in the arrow H direction, the V-shaped groove 91a of the alignment member 90 and the defective product guide groove 111b are in communication with each other.

  If the V-shaped groove 91a of the alignment member 90 and the non-defective guide groove 111a are in communication, the workpiece W is discharged to the non-defective product discharge side. Further, when the V-shaped groove 91a of the alignment member 90 and the defective product guide groove 111b are in communication with each other, the workpiece W is discharged to the defective product discharge side.

  FIG. 11 shows a simplified block diagram of the control unit of this apparatus. This control unit is arranged between the rotary shafts 11 and 12 and the workpiece W based on the detection means 50 and the detection value detected by the detection means 50. When the work W rotates once around its axis without slipping between the control shaft 120 and the rotation shafts 11 and 12 and the work W, the judgment means 120a for judging whether or not there is slippage. Setting means 121 for setting the reference time. Note that the control of the determination unit 120 and the setting unit 121 is performed using, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

  Next, a workpiece inspection method (inspection method) using an inspection apparatus having a control unit as shown in FIG. 11 will be described. A plurality of workpieces W are arranged in series via the supply path 2 from the aligning device (part feeder) 1 and supplied to the speed stabilizing unit 3. In the speed stabilizing unit 3, the passage 81 of the guide member 80 is inclined downward toward the downstream side, and further, the rotary disk 60 is driven to rotate. As a result, the workpiece W can be transported to the inspection unit 4 with appropriate traction.

  In the inspection unit 4, a plurality of workpieces W are dropped into a recess 18 constituted by a pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12. At this time, the pair of rotating shafts 11 and 12 are inclined downward toward the downstream side, and the plurality of workpieces W are inclined to the downstream side by their own weight, and the adjacent workpieces W are relative to each other. The facing end face comes into contact.

  Then, the pushing force by the pushing means 30 is set to a force that causes the rotating body 31 and the workpiece W to rotate synchronously when the workpiece W is rotated about its axis.

  After setting in this way, the driving means 20 is driven to rotate the rotary shafts 11 and 12, thereby rotating each workpiece W around its axis. During this rotation, the imaging means 130 performs an appearance inspection (inspection for the presence of wrinkles, etc.) on the workpiece W to be inspected by the imaging means 130.

  However, there is a possibility that slip may occur between the rotary shafts 11 and 12 and the workpiece W. In such a case, regardless of whether the detection means 50 cannot inspect the entire outer periphery of the workpiece. May be mistaken for being made. Therefore, in the present invention, control as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 12 is performed.

  First, the detecting unit 50 reads the recess 36 a of the rotating body 31. At this time, the number of pulses obtained from the number of recess counts within the reference time set by the setting means 121 is counted (step S1). In this case, the setting means 121 can set a tolerance of the number of pulses within a reference time set in accordance with the outer diameter of the workpiece W. Therefore, the number of pulses detected by the detecting means 50 and the set value set by the setting means 121 are compared to determine whether or not the detected number of pulses is within the tolerance set by the setting means 121 ( Step S2).

  If it is within the tolerance in step S2, it is determined that there is no slip (step S3). If it is not within the tolerance in step S2, it is determined that there is a slip abnormality (step S4). For this reason, the inspection test is performed on the entire circumference of the work W determined to be normal. On the other hand, the inspection test is not performed on the entire circumference of the work determined to be abnormal.

  In the work W determined to be normal in step S3, it is determined from the image captured by the imaging means 130 whether it is a non-defective product or a defective product as in step S5. And if it is a good product, it will transfer to step S6 and will discharge the good product to the good product discharge side. If it is determined in step S5 that the product is defective, the process proceeds to step S7, and the defective product is discharged to the defective product discharge side. If it is determined in step S4 that the product is abnormal, the workpiece W is discharged to the defective product discharge side also in this case.

  As described above, in the workpiece W that has been subjected to the inspection test on the entire circumference, a workpiece that does not have a flange or the like becomes a non-defective product, and, for example, a cylindrical roller bearing is configured as a cylindrical roller of a cylindrical roller bearing. Further, even if the workpiece W has not been subjected to the inspection test all around, since there is a workpiece W that does not have any wrinkles or the like, the inspection according to the present invention may be performed again.

  In the above-described inspection method, it is determined whether a product that has been inspected all around is a non-defective product or a defective product, but it is determined whether a product that has not been inspected all around is a good product or a defective product. You may do it. In this way, if the workpiece W has not been inspected all around, and has wrinkles, it will have wrinkles without being inspected all around. There is nothing to do.

  When the workpiece W is slipped, a replenishment command unit 150 (FIG. 11) may be provided that gives a command to replenish the rotation of the workpiece W to the pushing unit, the driving unit, or the like. The replenishment command means 150 is also controlled using, for example, a PLC.

  If such a replenishment command means 150 is provided, the number of pulses is first detected in this case as shown in FIG. 13 (step S8). Then, it is determined whether or not the number of pulses is insufficient for the number of pulses within the reference time (step S9). In step S9, when the number of pulses is insufficient, the workpiece W is rotated about its axis until the number of pulses within the reference time is reached (step S10).

  If the number of pulses is not insufficient in step S10, it means that the wrinkle inspection has been performed on the entire circumference of the workpiece, and this inspection is completed. Further, when the work W is rotated until the number of pulses within the reference time is reached in step S7, the wrinkle inspection of the entire work periphery can be performed, and the inspection is completed. Therefore, when the inspection is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, the entire circumference of each workpiece W can be inspected. Note that after the step in FIG. 13, the process proceeds to step S5 in FIG.

  By the way, for the workpiece W that is inspected and determined to be defective, if the workpiece W is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means 100, the rotation of the rotating disk 60 of the speed stabilizing unit 3 is stopped. Then, the flow of the workpiece W is stopped by the brake means 85. Then, the conversion block body 111 of the sorting means 110 is brought into a state where the defective product guide groove 111b and the V-shaped groove of the alignment member communicate with each other. As a result, the defective workpiece W is guided to the defective product discharge side via the defective product guide groove 111b. If the next workpiece W is also a defective product, the conversion block 111 is held in this position and guided to the defective product discharge side of the workpiece W. If the next workpiece W is a non-defective product, the conversion block body 111 is moved so that the non-defective product guide groove 111a communicates with the V-shaped groove of the alignment member. As a result, the non-defective workpiece W is guided to the non-defective product discharge side via the non-defective guide groove 111a.

  By the way, the transmission sensor 101 constituting the workpiece passage confirmation means 100 and the detection sensor 102 constituting the joint detection sensor 102 and the imaging camera 10 constituting the imaging means 130 are relatively separated from each other in the transport direction. It is in. For this reason, it is necessary to store the permutation of the workpieces W imaged by the imaging camera 10 in a control manner by the control means 120 so that the workpieces assigned to the non-defective product and the defective product are not mistaken. For this reason, it is preferable that the imaging unit 130 performs imaging processing using the signal from the workpiece passage confirmation unit 100 as a trigger. Here, the imaging process is to perform a sorting operation between a non-defective product and a defective product with respect to the workpiece W imaged by the imaging camera 10.

  Further, when imaging processing is performed based on the transmission type sensor 101 constituting the workpiece passage confirmation unit 100, an image having an inclination proportional to the passage speed of the workpiece W is obtained. For this reason, it is preferable to correct the imaging data and replace the image of each workpiece W with a vertical image for processing. As a result, it is possible to perform highly accurate determination (determination of non-defective product or defective product).

  During the inspection, workpieces W having different axial lengths may be mixed. For this reason, the model number data or the like of the workpiece W to be inspected is input to the setting unit 121 in advance, and the control unit 120 collates (compares) the image captured by the imaging camera 10 with the model number data. It is preferable to do so. That is, the imaging camera 10 can constitute a work length detection unit. By comparing in this way, it can be detected that a workpiece W having a different axial length is mixed.

  In the present invention, if there is no slip between the workpiece W and the rotary shafts 11 and 12, the imaging means 130 can inspect the entire circumference of the workpiece. It can be judged that it has occurred. For this reason, the workpiece | work W which has not complete | finished the test | inspection of the perimeter does not make it a non-defective product, but can perform the test | inspection stable. The plurality of workpieces W can be continuously conveyed to the inspection unit 4 in series, the plurality of workpieces W can be continuously inspected, and work efficiency can be improved. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the conveyance of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is imaged by the imaging unit 130, and a lot of workpieces W can be inspected in a short time, thereby improving workability. Further, a mechanism for stopping the workpiece W (such as a fixed distribution mechanism used in a conventional inspection apparatus) is not required, and the cost can be reduced.

  In the case of including the workpiece passage confirmation means 100, it is possible to effectively prevent an erroneous determination such as determining that a workpiece W that has not been inspected is a non-defective product even though it has not passed. If the workpiece passage confirmation means 100 includes the downstream end detection sensor 101, the workpiece passage confirmation can be confirmed stably. Further, in the case of having the joint detection sensor 102, it is possible to determine whether or not a gap is generated between the workpieces arranged in series, and it is possible to prevent the imaging position slippage that occurs due to the gap. .

  In the case of performing imaging processing using a signal from the workpiece passage confirmation means 100 as a trigger, imaging processing can be performed only when passage is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means 100, and wasteful processing is eliminated, and efficient inspection is possible. Become.

  By providing the sorting unit 110, the workpiece W can be automatically sorted into a defective product and a non-defective product, and a continuous sorting operation can be performed, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, if the work W is stopped and defective products are discharged to the defective product discharge side, stable sorting work between defective products and non-defective products is possible, and defective products are stably discharged to the defective product discharge side. can do.

  In the case where the pushing means 30 is provided, the reliability of the prevention of slipping of the workpiece W which is an object to be inspected is improved. When the rotating body 31 has a plurality of recesses 36a and the detection means 50 has a sensor 51 that counts the number of pulses, the rotational speed (rotational speed) that is the rotational state of the rotating body 31 can be detected, and the rotation The detection of the rotation state of the body 31 is stabilized.

  By setting so as to be able to handle workpieces W whose axial length has been changed, it is possible to inspect various types of workpieces W, and no equipment is required for each type, improving workability and reducing costs. Can be achieved.

  Further, as in the above-described embodiment, in the case where the replenishment command unit 150 is provided, the work W is rotated until the number of pulses within the reference time is reached. In spite of having a wrinkle, it can be determined that the product is a non-defective product, and the accuracy of wrinkle detection can be improved.

  In the embodiment, a plurality of pushing means 30 and detecting means 50 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the work transport direction (work moving direction). For this reason, even when the length in the workpiece axial direction in the setup change changes, it is possible to cope with the change without changing these positions, and the workability can be improved.

  For this reason, if the cylindrical roller and the needle roller which are the works W which have been inspected as described above are used, a high-quality roller bearing having rollers having no wrinkles can be configured.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the workpiece W is limited to the above-described cylindrical rollers and needle rollers. Instead, various cylindrical members whose outer diameter surfaces are cylindrical surfaces may be used. The number of workpieces W that can be supported on the rotary shafts 11 and 12 at a time, the rotational speed of the rotary shafts 11 and 12, and the like are determined by rotating the rotary shafts 11 and 12 to rotate the workpiece W around its axis. The wrinkle inspection apparatus can perform the wrinkle inspection, and various changes can be made as long as the rotation state of the rotating body can be detected by the detection means.

  The number and size of the recesses 36 a provided in the rotating body 31 can be variously changed within a range in which the detecting unit 50 can detect the rotation state of the rotating body 31.

4 Inspection unit 10 Imaging camera 11, 12 Rotating shaft 20 Driving means 30 Pushing means 31 Rotating body 32 Rocking lever 33 Elastic member 36a Recess 46 Work feeding means 50 Detection means 51 Photoelectric sensor 100 Work passage confirmation means 101 Transmission type sensor 102 Detection Sensor 110 Sorting means 120a Judging means 130 Imaging means W Workpiece

Claims (12)

An inspection method for detecting an outer diameter surface which is a cylindrical surface of a workpiece,
In a state where the workpiece is supported by a pair of rotating shafts whose rotating shaft centers are arranged in parallel to each other, the rotating member is brought into contact with the workpiece, and the pair of rotating shafts are driven to rotate. Rotate the rotating body with the workpiece, detect the rotation state of the rotating body at a reference time in which the workpiece makes one rotation around its axis without slipping between the rotation shaft and the workpiece, and based on this rotation state An inspection method, wherein images of a plurality of workpieces are continuously imaged while determining whether or not there is a slip between the workpiece and the rotating shaft.   2. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging data of the workpiece is an image having an inclination proportional to the passing speed of the workpiece, and the image data is corrected and replaced with a vertical image. An inspection device for inspecting a cylindrical surface of a workpiece at an inspection unit,
A pair of rotating shafts having rotating shaft centers arranged parallel to each other to receive the workpiece, a driving means for rotating the rotating shaft to rotate the workpiece around the shaft center, and contacting the workpiece from the rotating shaft The rotating state of the rotating body at the reference time when the work rotates once around its axis without slippage between the rotating body and the rotating shaft to which the rotational force is transmitted through the work. Detecting means for detecting, judging means for judging whether or not slippage has occurred between the rotating shaft and the workpiece based on the detection value detected by the detecting means, and a plurality of parts received by the pair of rotating shafts An inspection apparatus comprising: a workpiece feeding means for continuously feeding the workpieces in series to an inspection section having a detection means; and an imaging means provided in the inspection section for inspecting the appearance of the workpiece . The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a workpiece passage confirmation unit that determines whether or not the workpiece has passed through the inspection unit. 5. The inspection according to claim 4, wherein the workpiece passage confirmation means includes a downstream end detection sensor that is disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the pair of rotating shafts and detects a downstream end of the most downstream workpiece. apparatus. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the workpiece passage confirmation means includes a joint detection sensor that detects a joint between the workpieces continuously conveyed in series . The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the imaging unit performs an imaging process using a signal from the workpiece passage confirmation unit as a trigger . The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7 , further comprising a sorting unit that sorts the workpiece determined by the inspection unit into a defective product discharge side and a non-defective product discharge side . When a workpiece determined to be defective by the inspection unit is confirmed by the workpiece passage confirmation means, the workpiece conveyance is stopped, and the workpiece determined to be defective is moved to the defective product discharge side by the sorting means. 9. The inspection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the inspection apparatus is distributed . The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pressing unit that presses the rotating body against a workpiece that is the inspection target . The rotating body has a plurality of concave portions arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer diameter surface, and the detection means counts the number of pulses obtained from the concave portion count number within the reference time. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a sensor . The push-in means includes a swing lever that pivots the rotating body and swings the rotating body toward and away from the workpiece, and elastically moves the rotating lever in a direction that the rotating body approaches the workpiece. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an elastic member that presses against the elastic member .

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