JP6931570B2 - Inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an inspection device.

Conventionally, in order to inspect the appearance of a product (hereinafter referred to as a work), an inspection device including an image pickup device that images a work conveyed on a transparent belt conveyor from above and below is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-106192

The inspection device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to image the back surface, that is, the mounting surface of the work mounted on the belt conveyor from below via the transparent belt conveyor.
However, in the case of the inspection device disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, when a solid frozen food before bagging is used as an imaging target (work), ice, water droplets, stains, etc. that have fallen or adhered to the transparent belt. Alternatively, there is a problem that a work piece (for example, a small piece of broken frozen noodles) may be erroneously detected as a foreign substance.

In view of the above circumstances, at least one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an inspection device capable of reducing false detection of foreign matter.

(1) The inspection device according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is
The first conveyor and the second conveyor, which are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction with the gap portion in between and transport the workpiece, respectively.
An imaging device that images the work from below the gap, and
A lighting device that illuminates the work from the upper side and the lower side of the gap portion,
To be equipped.

When the lower surface of the work transported by the conveyor is imaged for inspection, for example, when the work is imaged from below through the transport belt using a transparent transport belt, the influence of foreign matter that has fallen or adhered to the transport belt. Therefore, there is a high possibility of false detection.
In this regard, according to the configuration of (1) above, the lower surface of the work can be imaged from below the gap between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, and the lower surface of the work can be imaged between the work passing through the gap and the imaging device. Since there is nothing that blocks the image pickup, the possibility of erroneous detection due to the influence of foreign matter that has fallen or adhered to the conveyor can be significantly reduced. Further, by illuminating from either the upper side or the lower side of the work by the illuminating device, the presence of shadows due to the influence of the blind spot can be reduced as compared with the case of irradiating only from the imaging device side, so that the inspection accuracy is improved. Can be planned.

(2) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) above,
The imaging device may be arranged directly below the gap.

According to the configuration of (2) above, the lower surface side of the work can be imaged from directly below through the gap portion. That is, since the influence of the blind spot can be reduced as much as possible, for example, the inspection can be performed using a single imaging device, and the inspection device exhibiting the above effect can be realized at low cost.

(3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) or (2) above,
It may be arranged on the upstream side of the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and further have a chute for guiding a falling object from the gap portion.

According to the configuration of (3) above, on the upstream side of the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus, foreign matter falling from the gap can be guided by a chute. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the falling object from passing on the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus, so that the possibility that the falling object obstructs the imaging is effectively reduced and the inspection accuracy is improved. be able to.

(4) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (3) above,
The chute may be configured such that the upper end is arranged in the gap and the lower side is separated from the image pickup apparatus and guides the falling object to the upstream side.

According to the configuration of (4) above, the chute can guide a falling object from the gap portion to the upstream side on the upstream side of the optical axis of the image pickup device so as to be farther from the image pickup device toward the lower side. Therefore, the action and effect according to (3) above can be achieved even more reliably.

(5) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (3) or (4) above,
A support member that is arranged in the gap and supports the work that passes through the gap may be further provided.

According to the configuration of (5) above, due to the presence of the support member, the distance between the first conveyor and the second conveyor is such that the work does not stay in the gap or fall from the gap depending on the size of the work. Can be widely secured. As a result, it is possible to secure a wide irradiation area of the work by the lighting device, so that it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy by securing a sufficient amount of light and reducing the influence of shadows due to blind spots. Further, since the imaging area by the imaging apparatus can be secured widely, the inspection accuracy can be further improved.

(6) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (5),
The image pickup device may be housed and further provided with a casing having a long slit in a direction intersecting the transport direction in a plan view.
The image pickup device may include a line camera in which an image pickup device is arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction.

According to the configuration of (6) above, the lower surface of the work can be imaged through the slit of the casing by using the line camera in which the image pickup element is arranged in the direction intersecting the transport direction. At that time, due to the presence of the casing, for example, the image of the lower surface of the work is received by the image sensor of the line camera through the slit while effectively preventing the falling object or the like from the gap from falling onto the image pickup device. be able to. Therefore, the lower surface of the work can be reliably imaged while preventing the image pickup device from being contaminated or damaged due to the influence of a falling object or the like, so that the inspection accuracy can be improved.

(7) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (6) above,
The casing may include an inclined portion that descends outward from the upper open end of the slit.

According to the configuration of (7) above, even if a falling object or a floating object collides with the vicinity of the slit of the casing due to the inclined portion that descends outward from the upper opening end of the slit, these falling objects Etc. can be prevented from staying or adhering to the vicinity of the slit or falling into the slit. Since the falling object or the like falls toward the outside of the slit of the casing, it does not interfere with the imaging by the imaging device, and false detection can be prevented and the inspection can be reliably performed.

(8) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (7),
An injection unit which is arranged above the image pickup device and can eject air in a direction intersecting the optical axis may be further provided.

According to the configuration (8) above, the air ejected by the injection unit is injected so as to cross the optical axis of the image pickup device, so that, for example, falling objects or floating objects from the gap portion fall onto the casing or the imaging device. It can be blown away so as not to. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the image pickup from being hindered by the presence of a falling object or the like.

(9) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (8) above,
The injection unit may be configured to constantly inject air while transporting the work.

According to the configuration (9) above, it is possible to more reliably prevent falling objects, floating objects, and the like from the gap from falling onto the imaging device and hindering imaging.

(10) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) above,
The image pickup device
A first imaging device arranged below the first conveyor and configured to image the lower surface of the work through the gap.
It may include a second imaging device which is arranged below the second conveyor and is configured to image the lower surface of the work through the gap.

According to the configuration of (10) above, the first imaging device is arranged below the first conveyor so as to avoid directly under the gap, and the second imaging device avoids directly below the gap and is below the second conveyor. Placed in. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the falling object from the gap portion from directly falling to the first imaging device or the second imaging device. Further, since the first imaging device arranged below the first conveyor and the second imaging device arranged below the second conveyor respectively image the lower surface of the work diagonally through the gap, one of them. The blind spot, which is difficult to be imaged by the image pickup device of the above, can be appropriately imaged by the other image pickup device. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the blind spot and smoothly image the lower surface of the work while suppressing the deterioration of the imaging quality due to the influence of the falling object from the gap.

(11) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (10),
A diffusing member which is arranged between the illuminating device and the work and for diffusing the irradiation light by the illuminating device may be further provided.

According to the configuration of (11) above, since the irradiation light of the lighting device can be diffused by the diffusing member, the influence of the shadow due to the blind spot can be reduced, the inspection accuracy can be improved, and the false detection can be reduced. ..

(12) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (11),
A distribution unit arranged on the downstream side of the gap portion in the transport direction and configured to be able to distribute the specific work from the second conveyor.
A determination unit for determining the quality of the work based on the image acquired by the imaging device is further provided.
The determination unit may be configured to transmit an operation signal for distributing the work determined to be defective from the second conveyor to the distribution unit.

According to the configuration of (12) above, the work determined to be defective by the determination unit based on the image captured by the imaging device can be sorted separately from the non-defective product by the distribution unit.

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an inspection device capable of reducing false positives due to the presence of foreign matter.

It is a figure which shows roughly the structure of the inspection apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the foreign matter detection process by the inspection apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment, (a) shows the state of image | imaging of the work by the imaging apparatus, (b) shows the foreign matter mixed or adhered to the workpiece to be imaged. It is a figure which shows the foreign matter detection process by the image pickup apparatus in one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the foreign matter mixed or adhered to the work which is the object of image pickup by the image pickup apparatus in one Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the inspection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the slit of the casing in another embodiment. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the shape around the opening of the slit in another embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the inspection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the inspection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the inspection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to this, but are merely explanatory examples. No.
For example, expressions that represent relative or absolute arrangements such as "in a certain direction", "along a certain direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric" or "coaxial" are exact. Not only does it represent such an arrangement, but it also represents a state of relative displacement with tolerances or angles and distances to the extent that the same function can be obtained.
Further, for example, the expression representing a shape such as a quadrangular shape or a cylindrical shape not only represents a shape such as a quadrangular shape or a cylindrical shape in a geometrically strict sense, but also includes a concavo-convex portion or a concavo-convex portion within a range in which the same effect can be obtained. The shape including the chamfered portion and the like shall also be represented.
On the other hand, the expressions "equipped", "equipped", "equipped", "included", or "have" one component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an inspection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a foreign matter detection process by the inspection device according to the embodiment, (a) shows a state of imaging a work by an imaging device, and (b) shows a foreign matter mixed or adhered to a work to be imaged. .. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a foreign matter detection process by the image pickup apparatus in one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing foreign matter mixed or adhered to the work to be imaged by the imaging device in one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 1 according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is a first conveyor that is arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the transport direction A with the gap portion 15 interposed therebetween to convey the work W. 11 and the second conveyor 12 (hereinafter, the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 are also collectively referred to as the conveyor 10), the image pickup device 20 that images the work W from the lower side of the gap portion 15, and the gap portion 15. It is provided with a lighting device 30 that illuminates the work W from the upper side and the lower side.

The first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 are configured such that a transport belt is stretched over a head pulley and a tail pulley arranged in parallel and separated from each other, and each transport surface (mounting surface) for transporting the work W. ) Are arranged at the same height, and the work W supplied from a feeder or the like (not shown) is conveyed to the downstream side. For the transport belt, for example, rubber, resin, felt, or the like may be used, or a transparent belt having light transmission may be used.
The image pickup device 20 is arranged so that the lower surface (back surface) of the work W can be imaged. The image pickup apparatus 20 converts, for example, the reflected light from the work W incident through a lens (not shown) into a digital image by an image sensor such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal accessory semiconductor) and converts the light. The image data may be configured to be transmitted to a controller (not shown).
In some embodiments, the image pickup device 20 may include a line camera (eg, a monochrome line camera) in which the image pickup element is arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction A.
The lighting device 30 illuminates the surface of the work W and enables the image pickup device 20 to detect foreign matter. Here, various types of work W can be applied, and the surface shape may include complicated irregularities. In some embodiments, the work W may include, for example, noodles such as frozen udon noodles, buckwheat noodles, fried noodles, and ramen. Therefore, in one embodiment, when imaging the lower surface of the work W, by irradiating light not only from the lower surface side of the work W but also from the upper surface side, shadows appearing on the surface of the work W are suppressed and foreign matter is detected. Can be performed with higher accuracy.

Here, the outline of the appearance inspection of the work W by the inspection device 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
When the visual inspection of the work W is performed by the image pickup device 20, for example, the work W and the image pickup device 20 may be arranged so as to image the surface having the largest area of the work W. For example, in FIG. 2A, the work W is mounted on the conveyor 10 in the direction in which the height thereof is the lowest, and the optical axis 25 of the imaging device 20 intersects the mounting surface of the conveyor 10 perpendicularly. It is arranged above or below the conveyor 10 in such a manner.
When the foreign matter F is attached to the upper surface or the lower surface of the work W, or when the foreign matter F is mixed in the work W, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the foreign matter F is compared with the surroundings, for example. Foreign matter F is observed as a dark (low brightness) region. Therefore, in some embodiments, it is configured to determine foreign matter F when the pixel value is lower than a predetermined threshold value based on the pixel value of each pixel included in the image data acquired by the image pickup apparatus 20. obtain.
With reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C, for example, in the image data of the image captured by the image pickup apparatus 20, pixels corresponding to the transport direction A and the width direction intersecting the transport direction A are continuously acquired. NS. Of these, a predetermined pixel value (for example, a lightness value) is used as a threshold value, and pixels 82 above the threshold value are not determined to be foreign matter F (see FIG. 3A). Further, even when pixels below the threshold value are included, if pixels 83 below the threshold value are not continuously detected by a predetermined number (for example, 3) or more, they are not detected as foreign matter F (FIG. 3B). reference). On the other hand, when the pixels 83 having a pixel value less than the threshold value are continuously adjacent to each other by a predetermined number or more, they are detected as foreign matter F (see FIG. 3C).

When the lower surface of the work W transported by the conveyor 10 is imaged for inspection, for example, when the work W is imaged from below through the transport belt using a transparent transport belt, it falls or adheres to the transport belt. The possibility of false detection increases due to the influence of the foreign matter F.
In this regard, according to the above configuration to which one embodiment is applied, the lower surface of the work W can be imaged from below the gap portion 15 between the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12, and passes through the gap portion 15. Since there is nothing blocking the imaging between the work W and the imaging device 20, the possibility of erroneous detection due to the influence of the foreign matter F that has fallen or adhered to the conveyor 10 can be significantly reduced. Further, by illuminating the work W from either the upper side or the lower side by the illuminating device 30, the presence of shadows due to the influence of the blind spot can be reduced as compared with the case of irradiating only from the imaging device 20 side. The accuracy can be improved.
When the above-mentioned visual inspection is performed using, for example, frozen udon noodles as the work W, foreign matter F adhering to or mixed in the work W is detected, for example, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an inspection device according to another embodiment.
In some embodiments, the imaging apparatus 20 may be arranged directly below the gap 15, as illustrated, for example, but not limited to FIGS. 1 and 5. That is, the inspection device 1 may be configured so that the optical axis 25 of the image pickup device 20 arranged below the conveyor 10 intersects the lower surface of the work W passing through the gap portion 15 perpendicularly. In this way, the lower surface of the work W can be imaged from directly below through the gap portion 15. That is, since the influence of the blind spot can be reduced as much as possible, for example, the inspection can be performed using a single imaging device 20, and the inspection device 1 that exhibits the above-mentioned actions and effects can be realized at low cost.

In some embodiments, the inspection device 1 may be located upstream of the optical axis 25 of the imaging device 20 and may further have a chute 40 for guiding a falling object from the gap 15 (eg,). (See FIG. 5). In this way, the foreign matter F falling from the gap 15 can be guided in a desired direction by the chute 40 on the upstream side of the optical axis 25 of the image pickup apparatus 20. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent a falling object from passing on the optical axis 25 of the image pickup device 20, so that the possibility that the lens of the image pickup device 20 becomes dirty due to the falling object and the image pickup is hindered is effective. It is possible to improve the inspection accuracy.

In some embodiments, the chute 40 may be configured such that the upper end is arranged in the gap 15 and the lower side is farther from the image pickup device 20 and guides the falling object to the upstream side (see, for example, FIG. 5). ). For example, the chute 40 includes a vertical portion 41 extending parallel to the optical axis 25 of the image pickup apparatus 20, and a curved portion 42 curved upstream continuously from the lower end of the vertical portion 41. May be good. In some embodiments, a collection unit (not shown) for collecting a fallen object guided upstream of the image pickup apparatus 20 below the first conveyor 11 by the chute 40 may be further provided.

According to the configuration in which the lower side of the chute 40 is separated from the image pickup device 20 and guides the falling object to the upstream side, the falling object from the gap 15 is guided to the upstream side so as to be separated from the image pickup device 20. Can be done. Therefore, the above-mentioned actions and effects can be achieved more reliably without hindering the imaging by the imaging device 20.

In some embodiments, the inspection device 1 may further include a support member 50 that is located in the gap 15 and supports the work W passing through the gap 15 (see, eg, FIG. 5). The support member 50 may be provided independently of the chute 40, or may be continuously attached to the upper end portion of the chute 40. When the support member 50 is continuously provided on the upper part of the chute 40, the falling object from the first conveyor 11 on the upstream side can be received without a gap and guided below the gap portion 15.
Further, the support member 50 may have a curved surface having at least an upper portion thereof having a central axis in a direction intersecting the transport direction A, and for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a round bar shape (circle). It may be columnar), or it may have a shape having a semi-cylindrical curved surface at the top.

According to the configuration in which the support member 50 is arranged in the gap portion 15 in this way, the work W stays in the gap portion 15 or falls from the gap portion 15 depending on the size of the work W due to the presence of the support member 50. It is possible to secure a wide distance between the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 to the extent that it does not occur. As a result, the irradiation area of the work W by the lighting device 30 can be secured widely, so that the influence of the shadow due to the blind spot can be reduced and the inspection accuracy can be improved. Further, since the imaging region of the imaging device 20 can be secured widely, the inspection accuracy can be further improved.

In some embodiments, the inspection apparatus 1 accommodates the imaging apparatus 20 and is elongated in a direction intersecting the transport direction A in a plan view, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, without limitation. A casing 60 having a slit 62 may be further provided.

According to the configuration in which the casing 60 and the slit 62 are provided as described above, the lower surface of the work W is passed through the slit 62 of the casing 60 by using a line camera in which the image pickup element is arranged in the direction intersecting the transport direction A. Can be imaged. At that time, due to the presence of the casing 60, for example, the image of the lower surface of the work W is projected through the slit 62 while effectively preventing falling objects, floating objects, etc. from the gap portion 15 from falling onto the image sensor 20. It can be received by the image sensor of the line camera. Therefore, the lower surface of the work W can be reliably imaged while preventing contamination or damage of the image pickup apparatus 20 due to the influence of a falling object or the like, so that the inspection accuracy can be improved.

In some embodiments, the casing 60 may include, for example, an inclined portion 61 that descends outward from the upper opening end 63 of the slit 62, as shown in FIG. In this case, the inclined portion 61 may be an inclined surface (see FIG. 7A) that linearly descends outward from the upper opening end 63 of the slit 62, or is convex toward the outside of the casing 60. (See FIG. 7B), or a concave curved surface (see FIG. 7C) on the outside of the casing 60.

According to the configuration in which the inclined portion 61 is provided as described above, there is a case where a falling object collides with the vicinity of the slit 62 of the casing 60 due to the inclined portion 61 descending outward from the upper opening end 63 of the slit 62. However, it is possible to prevent the falling object from staying or adhering to the vicinity of the slit 62 or falling into the slit 62. Then, since the falling object falls toward the outside of the slit 62 of the casing 60, the image pickup by the image pickup apparatus 20 is not hindered, false detection can be prevented, and the inspection can be reliably performed.
A window (or cover) 64 having light transmission may be arranged at the upper opening end 63 of the slit 62, for example. In this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent falling objects and floating objects from entering the inside of the casing 60.

In some embodiments, the inspection device 1 may further include an injection section 70 that is located above the imaging device 20 and is capable of ejecting air in a direction intersecting the optical axis 25 (eg, FIG. 5). The injection portion 70 may be arranged obliquely along the curved portion 42 on the lower side of the curved portion 42 of the chute 40.

According to the configuration in which the injection unit 70 is provided as described above, the air ejected by the injection unit 70 is injected so as to cross the optical axis 25 of the image pickup apparatus 20, so that, for example, a falling object from the gap portion 15 or The suspended matter can be blown off so as not to fall on the casing 60 or the image pickup apparatus 20. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the image pickup from being hindered by the presence of a falling object or the like.
The injection unit 70 may be configured to eject air at a timing when the work W passes through the gap portion 15, or intermittently injects air at a predetermined timing (for example, at intervals of several seconds). It may be configured to spout.

In some embodiments, the injection section 70 may be configured to constantly inject air while transporting the work W. In this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent the falling object from the gap portion 15 from falling onto the image pickup apparatus 20 and hindering the image pickup.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an inspection device according to another embodiment.
As illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the image pickup apparatus 20 is arranged below the first conveyor 11 and is configured to image the lower surface of the work W through the gap 15. The first image pickup device 21 and the second image pickup device 22 arranged below the second conveyor 12 and configured to image the lower surface of the work W through the gap portion 15 may be included.
That is, in some embodiments, the optical axis 25 of the first imaging device 21 and the optical axis 25 of the second imaging device 22 may be configured to intersect at the gap portion 15.

According to the above configuration, the first imaging device 21 is arranged below the first conveyor 11 so as to avoid the position directly below the gap portion 15, and the second imaging device 22 avoids the position directly below the gap portion 15. Is arranged below the second conveyor 12. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the falling object from the gap portion 15 from directly hitting the first imaging device 21 or the second imaging device 22. Further, the first image pickup device 21 arranged below the first conveyor 11 and the second image pickup device 22 arranged below the second conveyor 12 respectively oblique the lower surface of the work W through the gap portion 15. Therefore, the blind spot that is difficult to be imaged by one image pickup device 20 can be appropriately imaged by the other image pickup device 20. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the blind spot and smoothly image the lower surface of the work W while suppressing the deterioration of the imaging quality due to the influence of the falling object from the gap portion 15.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an inspection device according to another embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 9 without limitation, in some embodiments, when the first imaging device 21 and the second imaging device 22 are provided as the imaging device 20, at least one of the imaging devices 20 is used as the first conveyor 11. Alternatively, the work W is arranged below one of the second conveyors 12 so that the work W can be imaged from diagonally below through the gap 15, and the other imaging device 20 is placed on the first conveyor 11 or the second conveyor 12. The arrangement may be switchable between any one of them and the space directly below the gap portion 15. That is, in some embodiments, the first image pickup device 21 is diagonally arranged below the first conveyor 11, and the second image pickup device 22 is located at a position where the second image pickup device 22 can be imaged vertically above the gap portion 15. The gap portion 15 may be configured to be movable below the second conveyor 12 to a position where an image can be taken from diagonally below. In this case, the second imaging device 22 may be configured to be movable along a guide 24 having an arc shape, for example.

With the above configuration, more appropriate imaging can be performed according to the size of the falling object that can occur depending on the type of work W and the surrounding environment, the frequency of falling from the gap 15, or the degree of the falling range. Since the arrangement can be appropriately selected, one inspection device 1 can be used for inspection of more types of work W.

In some embodiments, the inspection device 1 may be disposed between the illuminating device 30 and the work W and further include a diffusing member 35 for diffusing the irradiation light from the illuminating device 30 (eg, FIG. 5). reference). In this way, the diffuser member 35 can diffuse the irradiation light of the lighting device 30 to the surroundings. Therefore, for example, the influence of shadows due to blind spots formed on the work W having irregularities on the outer shape is reduced for inspection. The accuracy can be improved and false positives can be reduced.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an inspection device according to another embodiment.
As illustrated non-limitingly in FIG. 10, in some embodiments, the inspection device 1 has a determination unit 80 that determines the quality of the work W based on an image acquired by the image pickup device 20 and a transport direction A. A distribution unit 90, which is arranged on the downstream side of the gap portion 15 and is configured to be able to distribute a specific work W from the second conveyor 12, may be further provided.
Based on the image of the lower surface of the work W acquired by the imaging device 20, for example, the determination unit 80 continuously has a predetermined number or more of pixels 83 (see FIG. 3) having a pixel value less than a predetermined threshold value in the image. By determining whether or not the foreign matter F is attached to the work W, it is determined whether or not the foreign matter F is attached to the work W (good if the foreign matter F is not attached to the work W, and bad if it is attached).
Then, the determination unit 80 may be configured to transmit an operation signal for distributing the work W determined to be defective from the second conveyor 12 to the distribution unit 90.
The distribution unit 90 may be configured so that the work W determined to be defective by the determination unit 80 can be selectively moved in the direction (sideways) intersecting the transport direction A, for example. It may be a bar (bar), an arm, a pusher device, a blower, or the like whose angle can be changed in a horizontal plane with respect to the transport direction A.

According to the above configuration, the work W determined to be defective by the determination unit 80 based on the image captured by the image pickup apparatus 20 can be sorted separately from the non-defective product by the distribution unit 90.

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention described above, there is provided an inspection device capable of reducing false detection due to the presence of foreign matter.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes a modified form of the above-described embodiment and a combination of these embodiments as appropriate.

1 Inspection device 10 Conveyor 11 1st conveyor 12 2nd conveyor 15 Gap 20 Imaging device 21 1st imaging device 22 2nd imaging device 24 Guide 25 Optical axis 30 Lighting device 35 Diffusion member 40 Shoot 41 Vertical part 42 Curved part 50 Support member 60 Casing 61 Inclined portion 62 Slit 63 Upper opening end 64 Window 70 Injection unit 80 Judgment unit 82 Pixels (threshold value or higher)
83 pixels (less than the threshold)
90 Distribution part A Transport direction F Foreign matter W Work

Claims (13)

A first conveyors及beauty second conveyors for conveying the workpieces as are respectively arranged food on the upstream side and downstream side in the transport direction across the gap,
An image pickup device that images the work passing through the gap, and an imaging device.
An illumination device for illuminating the workpiece from the upper及beauty bottom of the gap portion,
Equipped with a,
The imaging device, the provided only on the lower side of the upper and the lower side of the gap, the inspection device characterized that you imaging the workpiece from the lower side of the gap. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is arranged directly below the gap. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, which is arranged on the upstream side of the optical axis of the image pickup device and further has a chute for guiding a falling object from the gap. The first conveyor and the second conveyor, which are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction with the gap portion in between and transport the workpiece, respectively.
An imaging device that images the work from below the gap, and
A lighting device that illuminates the work from the upper side and the lower side of the gap portion,
A chute, which is arranged on the upstream side of the optical axis of the imaging device and guides a falling object from the gap,
An inspection device comprising. The chute according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it is configured upper end to guide the falling objects on the upstream side as arranged and the lower side away from the imaging device into the gap portion Inspection equipment. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a support member arranged in the gap and supporting the work passing through the gap. The image pickup device is housed, and a casing having a long slit in a direction intersecting the transport direction in a plan view is further provided.
The image pickup apparatus includes a line camera in which an image pickup device is arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction.
The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the inspection device is characterized by the above. The inspection device according to claim 7 , wherein the casing includes an inclined portion that descends outward from the upper opening end of the slit. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , further comprising an injection unit that is arranged above the image pickup device and is capable of ejecting air in a direction intersecting the optical axis. The inspection device according to claim 9 , wherein the injection unit is configured to constantly inject air while transporting the work. The image pickup device
Arranged below the first conveyors, a first imaging device configured to image the lower surface of the workpiece through the gap portion,
It is disposed below the second conveyors, according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that it comprises a second imaging device configured to image the lower surface of the workpiece through said gap Inspection equipment. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a diffusing member arranged between the lighting device and the work and for diffusing the irradiation light by the lighting device. .. Arranged in the conveying direction downstream side of the gap portion, and a distribution unit configured to enable sorting a particular of the work from the second conveyors,
A determination unit for determining the quality of the work based on the image acquired by the imaging device is further provided.
The determination unit, any of claims 1 to 1 2, characterized in that it is configured to transmit an actuation signal for sorting the workpiece judged as defective from the second conveyors to the sorting unit The inspection device according to the first paragraph.

Images