JP7032633B2 - Goods inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article inspection device, and more particularly to an article inspection device that inspects an article by taking a reflection image and a transmission image of the article.

Conventionally, an inspection device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as an article inspection device that captures a reflected image and a transmitted image of an article. In this inspection device, an external inspection unit equipped with a floodlight and an imager above the transport path for agricultural products, and an internal inspection unit equipped with a floodlight below the transport path and a light receiver that receives the transmitted light transmitted through the agricultural products above. It is configured with.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-164488

By the way, in the inspection of transparent packed packages filled with bivalves such as clams and freshwater clams, foreign substances such as stones and trees are inspected in the pack, and foreign substances such as sand mud are inspected inside the shells. is doing. In this case, using the inspection device of Patent Document 1, the external inspection unit can detect the foreign matter in the pack, and the internal inspection unit can detect the foreign matter inside the shellfish.
However, according to the inspection device of Patent Document 1, since the external inspection unit can photograph the packed package on the transport path only from above, it cannot find the foreign matter buried in the shellfish. In addition, the internal inspection unit irradiates the lower side of the shell with the inspection light and receives the transmitted light transmitted upward, but since the inspection light is scattered and transmitted inside the shell, it is on the lower side of the bivalve. When foreign matter sand mud adhered to the inside of the shell, the shadow of the sand mud could not be clearly observed.
Therefore, in order to improve the inspection accuracy, either the inspection is performed once and then the inspection is performed again by turning it upside down, or the second external inspection is provided with an imager and a floodlight below the transport path as an external inspection unit. It is conceivable to provide a second internal inspection unit with a floodlight above the transport path and a light receiver below as an internal inspection unit, but it takes time and effort to perform the inspection again. There is a problem of prolongation, and if a second inspection unit is provided for each, a total of four inspection units will be arranged on the transport path, and an imager, a floodlight, and a receiver must be prepared for each device. However, there is a problem that the cost becomes high, the transport path becomes long, and the installation space of the device is limited.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention relates to an article inspection device that irradiates an article with inspection light, captures a reflected image and a transmitted image of the article, and inspects the article based on these images.
A first lighting means for irradiating an article with inspection light and a first for photographing the article, which are arranged on one side of a transport means for transporting the article at a constant speed and a photographing region provided in the transport path of the transport means. Lighting of the image pickup means, the second lighting means for irradiating the article with inspection light, the second image pickup means for photographing the article, and the first lighting means and the second lighting means arranged on the other side of the photographing area. It is provided with a control means for controlling the operation and the photographing operation of the first imaging means and the second imaging means.
The first imaging means and the second imaging means are adapted to capture images in a strip-shaped inspection range that intersects the conveying direction of the conveying means set in the photographing area.
The control means switches between the first lighting means and the second lighting means and turns on the first lighting means alternately every time the article is conveyed for half the width of the band-shaped inspection range, so that the first lighting means is turned on. Occasionally, the first imaging means captures a reflected image of the article, the second imaging means captures a transmitted image of the article, and when the second lighting means is lit, the second imaging means captures a reflected image of the article. A transmission image of an article is taken by one imaging means, and a continuous reflection image and a transmission image of the article by the first imaging means and the second imaging means are stored .

According to the present invention, it is possible to capture a reflection image and a transmission image targeting one side and the other side of an article in a common imaging area, while suppressing inspection time, equipment cost, and installation space. It is possible to provide an article inspection device with high inspection accuracy.

The front view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the photographing procedure at the time of inspecting an article by the article inspection apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with respect to the illustrated examples. In FIG. 1, 1 is an article inspection device, and the article inspection device 1 irradiates an article 2 with inspection light to capture a reflected image and a transmitted image, and these images are taken. The quality of the article 2 is inspected based on the above. In the present embodiment, the article 2 is a transparent packed package containing bivalves such as sand clams and clams as the content 2a, and the shells are discriminated from foreign substances such as stones and trees by an external inspection using a reflection image, and a transmission image is obtained. It is designed to detect the contamination of foreign substances such as sand and mud inside the shellfish by the internal inspection by.
The article inspection device 1 includes a conveying means 3 on which the article 2 is placed and conveyed, and the conveying means 3 includes a first conveyor 3A on the upstream side and a second conveyor 3B on the downstream side, and the operation of these means is controlled. It is designed to be controlled by 4. Both conveyors 3A and 3B are arranged in series so that the transport surfaces on which the articles 2 are placed have the same height, and the articles 2 are sequentially supplied onto the first conveyor 3A. Both conveyors 3A and 3B are traveling in the same direction at the same constant speed, and the article 2 conveyed by the first conveyor 3A is delivered from its downstream end to the upstream end of the second conveyor 3B and then second. It is conveyed to the downstream side by the conveyor 3B.
A gap 5 is provided between the boundary portion between the first conveyor 3A and the second conveyor 3B, that is, between the two conveyors 3A and 3B so as not to hinder the stable transportation of the article 2, and the article above the gap 5 is provided. The portion through which 2 passes is defined as the photographing area P.

In the photographing region P, a lower image pickup unit 11 is provided on the lower side sandwiching the transport means 3, and an upper image pickup unit 12 is provided on the upper side.
The lower image pickup unit 11 is arranged between the lower camera 6 as a first image pickup means arranged with the optical axis O directed toward the upper gap 5 on the lower side of the transport means 3, and between the lower camera 6 and the gap 5. The upper image pickup unit 12 is configured to include the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 as the first illumination means, and the upper image pickup unit 12 is arranged on the upper side of the transport means 3 with the optical axis O directed toward the lower gap 5. It is configured to include an upper camera 7 as a means and an upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 as a second lighting means arranged between the upper camera 7 and the gap 5.
Both the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 are composed of a CCD camera, the lower camera 6 takes a picture of the article 2 passing through the gap 5 from the lower side, and the upper camera 7 takes a picture of the article 2 passing through the gap 5 from the lower side. The optical axes O of the cameras 7 are equal, and the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 are located on the vertical axis of the transport surface of the transport means 3.
Further, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 and the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 both include illuminators 16A and 17A made of LEDs that emit inspection light in the near infrared region, and optical elements 16B and 17B such as a half mirror and a beam splitter. The illuminators 16A and 17A emit inspection light from a direction orthogonal to the optical axis O connecting the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7, and the optical elements 16B and 17B connect the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7. It is arranged on the optical axis O, and the inspection light emitted from the illuminators 16A and 17A is irradiated toward the article 2 coaxially with the optical axis O of the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7.

With such a configuration, when the illuminator 16A of the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned on, the inspection light reflected by the optical element 16B is irradiated to the lower surface of the article 2 through the gap 5, and the reflected light reflected by the article 2 is applied. Passes through the optical element 16B and enters the lower camera 6, and is photographed as a bottom reflection image of the article 2. Further, the transmitted light transmitted through the article 2 passes through the optical element 17B of the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 and enters the upper camera 7, and is photographed as an upper transmitted image in which the inspection light is transmitted from the lower side to the upper side of the article 2. The light. Subsequently, when the illuminator 16A is turned off and the illuminator 17A of the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on, the inspection light reflected by the optical element 17B is irradiated to the upper surface of the article 2, and the reflected light reflected by the article 2 is emitted. It passes through the optical element 17B and enters the upper camera 7, and is photographed as a top reflection image of the article 2. Further, the transmitted light transmitted through the article 2 passes through the optical element 16B of the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 and enters the lower camera 6, and is photographed as a lower transmitted image in which the inspection light is transmitted from above to below the article 2. The light.

The lighting operation of the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 and the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17, the photographing operation of the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7, and the operation of the transport means 3 composed of the first conveyor 3A and the second conveyor 3B are performed. It is controlled by a control means 4 including a computer. Further, a detection sensor 19 for detecting the article 2 to be conveyed is arranged on the first conveyor 3A on the upstream side of the photographing region P, and the detection signal of the article 2 is output to the control means 4. Based on this detection signal, the control means 4 starts the lighting operation and the photographing operation at the timing when the article 2 reaches the photographing area P.
The control means 4 is provided with an image processing determination unit 4A for determining the quality of the article 2 based on the reflection image and the transmission image taken by the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7. This image processing determination unit 4A is composed of an image processing program, analyzes the pixel data of the captured reflected image and the transmitted image, grasps the brightness and shape, and removes the normal contents 2a and foreign substances such as stones, trees, and sand mud. The quality of the article 2 is determined by the determination.

Hereinafter, the lighting operation of the first lighting means and the second lighting means by the control means 4, the shooting operation of the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means, and the image processing by the image processing determination unit 4A will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 schematically shows a state in which the photographing region P is viewed from above, and shows a state in which an article 2 such as a packed package crosses the gap 5 and moves from the first conveyor 3A to the second conveyor 3B. In this embodiment, an article 2 such as a belt conveyor is placed on a conveyor belt and conveyed by using a conveying means 3, and the article 2 is sequentially conveyed while being photographed. In order to take a picture from below, the transport means 3 is divided into a first conveyor 3A and a second conveyor 3B to form a gap 5, and a lower camera 6 and an upper camera 7 are provided with the gap 5 interposed therebetween. The camera 6 allows the article 2 to be photographed from below. Then, a strip-shaped inspection range I that is orthogonal to (crosses at right angles) the transport directions of the first conveyor 3A and the second conveyor 3B with a width narrower than the width of the gap 5 is set, and the lower camera 6 located below is set. In the upper camera 7 located above and above, an image is taken in this inspection range I.

First, in the state of FIG. 2A, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned on, and at the timing when the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned on, the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 simultaneously take pictures. In this embodiment, the width of the gap 5 is 10 mm, and the fields of view of the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 include the first conveyor 3A and the second conveyor 3B. The bottom surface reflection image data of the lower camera 6 and the upper transmission image data of the upper camera 7 are taken in by the image processing determination unit 4A, and the captured image data has pixels in a range corresponding to the band-shaped inspection range I. To extract. In this embodiment, the resolution of both the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 is set to 0.5 mm / fix, and the width W of the strip-shaped inspection range I in the transport direction is set to 5 mm (10 pixels). ), The tip of the article 2 is approaching half the width W of the band-shaped inspection range I.

Next, in the state of FIG. 2B, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned off, the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on, and the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 simultaneously take pictures at the timing when the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on. In this state, the article 2 is conveyed from the state of (a) to a length corresponding to half of the width W of the band-shaped inspection range I, and in this embodiment, from the state of (a) to 2. It is being conveyed by 5 mm. That is, in this embodiment, every time the article 2 is transported by 2.5 mm, the lighting of the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 which is the first lighting means and the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 which is the second lighting means is switched. ing. In this embodiment, the speed of the transport means 3 is set to 30 m / min (500 mm / sec), and the time for the article 2 to be transported in the width W of the strip-shaped inspection range I is 0.01 sec. Therefore, the lighting of the first lighting means and the second lighting means is switched every 0.005 sec, which is half of that. In such a state of FIG. 2B, the lower transmission image data of the lower camera 6 and the upper surface reflection image data of the upper camera 7 are taken into the image processing determination unit 4A.

Subsequently, in the state of FIG. 2C, the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned off, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned on again, and the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 simultaneously take pictures at the timing when the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned on. In this state, the article 2 is further conveyed from the state of (b) to a length (2.5 mm) corresponding to half the width W of the band-shaped inspection range I, and from the state of (a), the band-shaped inspection range I. It shows a state in which a length (5 mm) corresponding to the width W of the above is conveyed. In this state, the bottom reflection image data of the lower camera 6 and the upper transmission image data of the upper camera 7 are taken into the image processing determination unit 4A. That is, the bottom reflection image and the upper transmission image taken in the state (c) have continuity with the bottom reflection image and the upper transmission image taken in the state (a).

Further, in the state of FIG. 2D, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 is turned off, the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on again, and the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7 simultaneously take pictures at the timing when the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on. In this state, the article 2 is further conveyed from the state of (c) to a length (2.5 mm) corresponding to half the width W of the band-shaped inspection range I, and from the state of (b), the band-shaped inspection range I. It shows a state in which a length (5 mm) corresponding to the width W of the above is conveyed. In this state, the lower transmission image data of the lower camera 6 and the upper surface reflection image data of the upper camera 7 are taken into the image processing determination unit 4A. That is, the downward transmission image and the top reflection image captured in the state (d) have continuity with the downward transmission image and the top reflection image captured in the state (b).
After that, every time the article 2 is conveyed with a length (2.5 mm) corresponding to half the width W of the band-shaped inspection range I, the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 and the second illumination means are the first lighting means. The upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is switched and turned on alternately, and each time the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is turned on, the article 2 is simultaneously photographed by the lower camera 6 and the upper camera 7. As a result, continuous image data of the bottom surface reflection image and the upper transmission image taken by turning on the lower coaxial epi-illumination 16 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C is stored in the control means 4 and at the same time. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2D, continuous image data of the downward transmission image and the top reflection image taken by turning on the upper coaxial epi-illumination 17 is stored in the control means 4. With the continuous image data of the bottom surface reflection image, the upper transmission image, the lower transmission image, and the top surface reflection image, it is possible to perform an external inspection and an internal inspection on the entire article 2, and the image processing determination unit 4A enables the quality of the article 2 to be good or bad. Is determined, and when a defective product is detected, a message to that effect is displayed on the display unit 14, and the reject mechanism 15 provided in the downstream portion of the second conveyor 3B is activated to display the corresponding article 2 on the second conveyor 3B. Exclude from.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an article inspection device 1 with high inspection accuracy while suppressing inspection time, cost of the device, and installation space.
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the article to be inspected is a packed package filled with bivalves such as lajonkairia lajonii and clams as the content, but the inspection target is not limited to this, and the inspection image is not limited to this. It is possible to cover all inspections that require a bottom reflection image, an upper transmission image, a lower transmission image, and a top reflection image.

1 ‥ Article inspection device 2 ‥ Article 3 ‥ Transport means 4 ‥ Control means 6 ‥ Lower camera (first imaging means)
7 ... Upper camera (second imaging means)
16 ‥ Lower coaxial epi-illumination (first lighting means)
17 ‥ Upper coaxial epi-illumination (second lighting means)
P ... Shooting area

Claims (3)

In an article inspection device that irradiates an article with inspection light, captures a reflected image and a transmitted image of the article, and inspects the article based on these images.
A first lighting means for irradiating an article with inspection light and a first for photographing the article, which are arranged on one side of a transport means for transporting the article at a constant speed and a photographing region provided in the transport path of the transport means. Lighting of the image pickup means, the second lighting means for irradiating the article with inspection light, the second image pickup means for photographing the article, and the first lighting means and the second lighting means arranged on the other side of the photographing area. It is provided with a control means for controlling the operation and the photographing operation of the first imaging means and the second imaging means.
The first imaging means and the second imaging means are adapted to capture images in a strip-shaped inspection range that intersects the transport direction of the transport means set in the shooting region.
The control means switches between the first lighting means and the second lighting means and turns on the first lighting means alternately every time the article is conveyed for half the width of the band-shaped inspection range, so that the first lighting means is turned on. Occasionally, the first imaging means captures a reflected image of the article, the second imaging means captures a transmitted image of the article, and when the second lighting means is lit, the second imaging means captures a reflected image of the article. 1 An article inspection apparatus characterized in that a transmission image of an article is taken by an imaging means, and a continuous reflection image and a transmission image of the article by the first imaging means and the second imaging means are stored . The article inspection according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting means and the second lighting means are coaxial epi-illuminations that irradiate inspection light coaxially with the optical axes of the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means. Device. The transport means is composed of a first conveyor and a second conveyor arranged in series, and a gap through which an article can be transferred is formed between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, and the first image pickup means and the second image pickup means are formed. The article inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a strip-shaped image having a width narrower than the gap is taken by means.

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