JP7137530B2 - Metal impurity inspection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inspection technique for a viscous substance such as grease. In particular, the present invention relates to inspection technology for bearings mainly used in rotating parts of large machines and grease used for lubricating the bearings.

Bearings, which are used in rotating parts of large machines such as elevators, are worn due to metal-to-metal friction due to their structure, and are damaged and deteriorated over time. Therefore, periodic inspection and maintenance are required. Normally, bearings are filled with grease for lubrication and protection of parts. Therefore, it is not possible to directly check the deterioration state of the bearing surface. Therefore, in general, the state of the bearing is indirectly confirmed by sampling the grease and measuring the color of the grease and the content of iron powder contained in the grease.

As a method for measuring the iron powder content used at this time, for example, Patent Document 1 describes "a first excitation part formed by winding a first excitation coil around a core material and a second excitation part formed by winding a first excitation coil around a core material. A second excitation section formed by winding an excitation coil, a detection section formed by winding a detection coil around a core material, a first connection section, a second connection section, and a first excitation A high-frequency power supply connected to each excitation coil such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the coil and the direction of the magnetic field generated by the second excitation coil are opposite to each other, and the sample holding the sample containing metal impurities. A metal impurity measuring device is disclosed that includes a notch portion in which a holding portion is installed, and a measurement portion that measures the induced voltage or induced current generated in the detection coil (summary excerpt).

JP 2019-2752 A

In the metal impurity measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1, grease is held in a cylindrical sample case. Two excitation units and one detection unit are installed so as to surround the sample case.

In this metallic impurity measuring device, magnetic fluxes are generated by the two excitation parts so as to cancel each other in the detection part. If the grease to be measured does not contain iron powder, no induced voltage or induced current is generated by the magnetic flux in the detector. On the other hand, when iron powder is contained in the grease, the magnetic flux changes and an induced voltage or an induced current is generated in the detection section. By measuring this induced voltage or induced current, the iron powder concentration in the grease is measured.

However, in the case of the configuration of the metal impurity measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the distance from the excitation part of the iron powder contained in the grease differs depending on whether the distribution position is near the outer periphery of the sample case or near the center. , a difference occurs in the magnetic flux density. Therefore, even if the same amount of iron powder is contained, a difference occurs in the change in magnetic flux detected depending on the distribution position of the iron powder. Moreover, since the sample case is cylindrical, three-dimensional measurement is required. For this reason, a structure and an exciting current for detecting magnetic fluxes in three axes (X, Y, Z) are required, which makes the device large and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for detecting metal impurities in a viscous substance with high accuracy with a simple structure.

The present invention is a metal impurity inspection apparatus for detecting metal impurities contained in a viscous substance, which is a substance having viscosity, comprising: a holding device for holding the viscous substance while maintaining a constant thickness; A detection device for detecting the metal impurities, and a slide guide for slidably guiding the holding device on the detection device, wherein the detection devices are alternately arranged in a direction in which the holding device slides. a plurality of coil sets having an oscillating coil and a receiving coil, wherein the oscillating coil generates an alternating magnetic field, and the receiving coil outputs a magnetic field waveform based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the oscillating coil as output data; Each of the plurality of coil sets is arranged at different positions in a direction orthogonal to a sliding direction on a sliding surface on which the holding device slides.

According to the present invention, metal impurities in a viscous substance can be detected with high accuracy with a simple configuration. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a whole block diagram of the metal impurity inspection apparatus of 1st embodiment. (a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the detection device of the first embodiment, and (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the slide guide of the first embodiment. It is an explanatory view for explaining the details of the detecting device of the first embodiment. (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the principle of the detection device of the first embodiment. (a) is a block diagram of the analysis apparatus of 1st embodiment, (b) is a functional block diagram of the analysis apparatus of 2nd embodiment. It is an explanatory view for explaining how to use the metal impurity inspection device of the first embodiment. (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining output waveform examples of the first embodiment. 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams for explaining a display example of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4D is an explanatory diagram for explaining the distribution of iron powder in grease estimated from the display example. FIG. 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams for explaining a display example of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4D is an explanatory diagram for explaining the distribution of iron powder in grease estimated from the display example. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another display example of the first embodiment; (a) to (c) are examples of output waveforms for explaining the analysis processing of the second embodiment. (a) to (b) are examples of output waveforms for explaining the analysis processing of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus according to a third embodiment; It is an explanatory view for explaining arrangement of a detection device of a third embodiment, and an illuminating device. FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus according to a modification of the third embodiment; (a) is an explanatory view for explaining a guide rail of a modified example of the third embodiment, (b) is for a detection device, and (c) is for explaining an illumination device. It is an explanatory view for explaining a detection device of a modification of the present invention. It is an explanatory view for explaining a detection device of a modification of the present invention.

<<First Embodiment>>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the metallic impurity inspection apparatus of this embodiment, a viscous substance such as grease is moved on the detection device on which the magnetic sensor is arranged, and metallic impurities in the substance are detected. A viscous substance, for example, is encapsulated in a uniform thickness. A magnetic sensor is configured such that the magnetic flux changes, for example, due to movement of the encapsulated material.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, it is assumed that the viscous substance (viscous substance) to be inspected is grease, and the metal impurities are iron powder.

[Overall Configuration of Inspection Device]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, and an analysis device 140. As shown in FIG. The holding device 110 holds the grease 111 while maintaining a constant thickness. The slide guide 120 slidably guides the holding device 110 over the detection device 130 . The detection device 130 detects iron powder in the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 . Analysis device 140 analyzes the detection signal from detection device 130 .

Hereinafter, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the plane parallel to the upper surface of the detection device 130 is defined as the xy plane, and the direction perpendicular thereto is defined as the z direction. Also, the direction in which the holding device is slid on the xy plane is the -x direction, and the direction orthogonal thereto is the y direction. Hereinafter, the x direction is also referred to as the longitudinal direction, the y direction as the width direction, and the z direction as the vertical direction. Further, up and down in the z direction are as defined in the drawing.

[Holding device]
The holding device 110 holds the grease 111 to be inspected in a substantially planar shape with a constant thickness. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an enclosing bag 112 enclosing a grease 111, and two upper and lower clamping plates 113 and 114 arranged in parallel with the xy plane and at a constant interval in the z direction. And prepare.

The upper and lower sandwiching plates 113 and 114 are respectively a mounting plate 114 on which the grease 111 is placed and a cover plate 113 arranged on the grease 111 so that the distance from the mounting plate 114 is constant. . If there is no need to distinguish between the functions of the two, they are called sandwich plates.

The space between the pinching plates 113 and 114 is extremely small so that the grease 111 is substantially planar. The grease 111 is sandwiched between the two sandwiching plates 113 and 114 and kept at a constant thickness.

One end of the pinching plates 113 and 114 may be connected with a tape or the like so as not to separate from each other. In addition, a fixing leg or the like may be arranged between the two sandwiching plates 113 and 114 in order to keep the z-direction distance between the two sandwiching plates 113 and 114 constant. The fixing legs are arranged, for example, at the four corners of the pinching plate 114 .

For the enclosing bag 112, for example, an inexpensive clear pocket with a zipper can be used. As a result, the grease 111 can be easily discarded after inspection.

[Detection device]
When the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 contains iron powder, the detection device 130 detects the iron powder. Then, the detection result is output to the analysis device 140 as output data. In this embodiment, the iron powder in the grease 111 is detected while the holding device 110 is sliding along the slide guide 120 .

FIG. 2(a) shows a top view of the detection device 130. As shown in FIG. The detection device 130 includes a plurality of coil sets 131a, 131b, 131c arranged at different positions in the y direction on a plane parallel to the xy plane. Each coil set 131a, 131b, 131c includes a first oscillator coil 136a, a receiver coil 138, and a first oscillator coil 136a, a receiver coil 138, and a first coil arranged in a row in the x direction on a plane parallel to the xy plane, as shown in FIG. 2(a). and two oscillating coils 136b. Hereinafter, the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c will be represented by the coil set 131 when there is no particular need to distinguish them.

The first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b respectively generate AC magnetic fields in opposite directions on the same plane. Also, the receiving coil 138 is arranged between or near the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b, and detects the alternating magnetic field generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b. In addition, hereinafter, the first oscillation coil 136a and the second oscillation coil 136b are represented by the oscillation coil 136 unless it is necessary to distinguish them.

In this embodiment, the plurality of coil sets 131 are arranged so as to be able to detect iron powder over the entire width in the y direction, which is the width direction of the holding device 110 .

Here, details of the detection device 130 of the present embodiment will be described. The detection device 130 of the present embodiment includes an AC generator 132 and a receiver 133 as shown in FIG. In addition, the detection unit is formed in a substantially planar shape, for example.

The alternating current generator 132 generates an alternating current with a predetermined frequency and supplies it to the first oscillating coil 136 a and the second oscillating coil 136 b of each coil set 131 . The first oscillating coil 136 a and the second oscillating coil 136 b generate alternating magnetic fields of the same intensity and in opposite directions to each other by the alternating current supplied from the alternating current generator 132 . In order to cause the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b to generate alternating magnetic fields in opposite directions, for example, the winding directions of the respective coils may be reversed.

The receiving coil 138 outputs to the receiving section 133 a magnetic field waveform (induced voltage or induced current) generated based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the first oscillating coil 136a and the second oscillating coil 136b. In the following description, it is assumed that an induced voltage is output.

In this embodiment, the receive coil 138 is positioned substantially midway between the first and second oscillator coils 136a and 136b, as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4A, when there is nothing around to disturb the magnetic field, the magnetic field generated by the first oscillation coil 136a (represented by magnetic force lines B1) and the magnetic field generated by the second oscillation coil 136b (magnetic force lines B2 ) are canceled at the position of the receive coil 138 . In other words, this is the case where no iron powder exists in the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 . In this case, no induced voltage is generated.

On the other hand, if there is a non-uniformity in the magnetic field perturbers, both fields will not cancel out completely at the receiving coil 138 . For example, when a magnetic body passes through a magnetic field, the magnetic body itself is also magnetized and generates a magnetic field. Therefore, it is combined with the magnetic field generated by the oscillation coil 136 to increase the magnetic flux density. An induced voltage is generated in the receiving coil 138 by the magnetic field that remains without being canceled. For example, there is iron powder 111f in the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 .

The receiving unit 133 detects an induced voltage generated in the receiving coil 138, performs signal processing such as amplification and AD/DC conversion, and outputs it to the outside as output data. In this embodiment, it is transmitted to the analysis device 140 . In this embodiment, the receiver 133 outputs the induced voltages received from the receiver coils 138 in each coil set 131 to the outside as output data of independent channels.

[Slide guide]
The slide guide 120 slidably supports the holding device 110 while bringing it close to the surface (upper surface) of the detecting device 130 at a constant distance, and guides it in the -x direction. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the slide guide 120 has two guide rails 121a and 121b arranged on both sides (both ends) of the detection device 130 in the y direction over the entire length in the x direction. Prepare. The guide rails 121a, 121b are provided with guide grooves for guiding the holding device 110. As shown in FIG.

At this time, the thickness h1 of the grease 111 is obtained from the difference between the sum of the heights h3 and h4 in the z direction of the two clamping plates 113 and 114 and the height H of the guide groove in the z direction. . The smaller the difference between H and h3+h4, the thinner the thickness of the grease 111 during detection, and the closer the grease 111 becomes to a flat surface.

[Analysis equipment]
The analysis device 140 analyzes the output data output from the detection device 130 and presents the user with information indicating the presence or absence of iron powder. In this embodiment, the output data is temporal changes in the induced voltage due to the presence of iron powder in the grease 111 . The analysis device 140 presents to the user how the induced voltage changes due to the presence of the iron powder in the grease 111 .

To achieve this, the analysis device 140 of the present embodiment includes an information processing section 141, a communication section 142, an operation section 143, and a display section 144, as shown in FIG. 5(a).

The communication unit 142 is wired or wirelessly connected to the detection device 130 and receives output data from the detection device 130 .

The information processing section 141 analyzes the output data. In this embodiment, a CPU 141a, a memory 141b, and a storage device 141c are provided, and a program stored in advance in the storage device 141c is loaded into the memory 141b by the CPU 141a and executed, thereby realizing analysis processing.

The operation unit 143 receives operation instructions from the user. For example, it is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and the like.

The display unit 144 displays the processing result by the information processing unit 141 . Examples include LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) displays.

[how to use]
A method of using the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that each oscillation coil 136 is caused to generate an alternating magnetic field when it is used.

First, the user encloses the grease 111 to be inspected in the enclosure bag 112 . Then, the sealing bag 112 is sandwiched between the pinching plates 113 and 114 . As a result, the grease 111 is held by the holding device 110 in a substantially planar shape with a uniform thickness.

A user inserts the holding device 110 into the guide grooves of the guide rails 121 and 122 of the slide guide 120 . Then, the holding device 110 is moved in the longitudinal direction (-x direction) along the guide groove. As a result, the holding device 110 keeps its height in the z direction constant and slides on the slide surface, which is the upper surface of the detection device 130, in the -x direction. That is, the thickness h1 of the grease 111 is also kept substantially constant during detection.

Further, the holding device 110 is moved until the entire length of the sandwiching plate 113 in the longitudinal direction (x direction) passes over the receiving coil 138 of one of the coil sets 131 . Thereby, the detection device 130 can detect the iron powder in the entire grease 111 enclosed in the enclosure bag 112 at a constant distance.

The receiving unit 133 of the detection device 130 outputs the detection result to the analysis device 140 according to the user's instruction. For example, the detection result is output to the analysis device 140 from the timing when the holding device 110 is inserted until the user stops the holding device 110 .

[result of analysis]
Examples of graphs (output waveforms) displayed on the display unit 144 by the analysis device 140 based on the output data output from the receiving unit 133 at this time are shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). Here, examples of graphs generated based on the detection results from one coil set 131 are respectively shown. However, as described above, the analysis device 140 generates a graph for each of the output data received from each of the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c, that is, for each channel, and displays it on the display section 144, respectively.

In these figures, the vertical axis is the detected value (induced voltage (V)) and the horizontal axis is the time. However, since the holding device 110 is moved along the longitudinal direction (x direction) of the slide guide 120, if the moving speed is known, the horizontal axis is the holding device 110 and the slide guide 120. A position in the longitudinal direction (x-direction) can be calculated.

FIG. 7A shows an example of the output waveform 211 when the grease 111 does not contain iron powder. As shown in the figure, if the grease 111 does not contain iron powder, no induced voltage is generated. This is because, as mentioned above, the magnetic field produced by oscillator coil 136 is not disturbed.

FIG. 7B is an example of the output waveform 212 when iron powder is contained only in a predetermined region in the x direction within the grease 111 . In such a case, as shown in this figure, an induced voltage is generated only while the area of the grease 111 containing iron powder passes over the receiving coil 138 .

FIG. 7C is an example of an output waveform 213 when iron powder is contained in the grease 111 throughout the x direction. In such a case, an induced voltage is generated while the grease 111 passes over the receiving coil 138, as shown in this figure.

The analyzer 140 of this embodiment displays these output waveforms on the display unit 144 . By viewing this display, the user can grasp the change in distribution of the iron powder in the moving direction (−x direction) of the grease 111 in the sealing bag 112 along the slide guide 120 .

Furthermore, the analysis device 140 displays output waveforms obtained from respective output data for each coil set 131 arranged in the width direction (y direction) of the detection device 130 . Therefore, the user can also grasp the y-direction distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 from the displayed output waveforms.

8(a) to 8(c) show display examples of the output waveforms of each channel, and FIG. 8(d) shows the distribution of iron powder in the grease 111 estimated from these output waveforms. 9(a) to 9(c) show other display examples of the output waveforms of each channel, and FIG. 9(d) shows the distribution of iron powder in the grease 111 estimated from these output waveforms. indicates

For example, assume that output waveforms 221a, 221b, and 221c are obtained as detection results from coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c). That is, this is an example in which the induced voltage changes only at specific times in the output waveform 221b generated based on the output data from the coil set 131b.

When the user sees such a display, the grease 111 in the enclosing bag 112 has iron powder only in the central region in the y direction and in a specific region in the x direction as shown in FIG. 8(d). You can see what is included. This is the case, for example, when iron powder is mixed in as foreign matter when the grease 111 is filled.

It is also assumed that output waveforms 222a, 222b, 222c as shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C are obtained from the detection results of the coil sets 131a, 131b, 131c. That is, this is an example in which changes in the induced voltage are observed in all output waveforms generated based on the output data from each of the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c.

By viewing such a display, the user can understand that the iron powder is distributed throughout the grease 111 in the enclosing bag 112, as shown in FIG. 9(d). This is the case, for example, when the grease 111 is used to lubricate the bearing and protect the parts, or when the bearing is worn out due to aged deterioration.

Thus, the user can grasp the distribution state of the iron powder in the grease 111 from the output waveform displayed on the display unit 144 . That is, the user can grasp the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 two-dimensionally in the x direction and the y direction by using the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, output waveforms 223a, 223b, and 223c generated based on the outputs from the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c may be collectively displayed. This allows the user to intuitively grasp the entire iron powder distribution.

As described above, the metallic impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment detects metallic impurities (iron powder) contained in a viscous substance (grease 111), which is a viscous substance. A holding device 110 that holds the viscous substance (grease 111) at a constant thickness, a detection device 130 that detects metal impurities (iron powder) in the viscous substance (grease 111), and a a slide guide 120 having a guide rail 121 arranged to slidably guide the holding device 110 . The detection device 130 includes a plurality of coil sets 131 having oscillating coils 136 and receiving coils 138 alternately arranged in the direction in which the holding device 110 slides. 138 outputs a magnetic field waveform based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the oscillation coil 136 as output data, and each of the plurality of coil sets 131 is oriented in the width direction (y direction).

As described above, in the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the holding device 110 that holds the grease 111 with a constant thickness is slid along the slide guide 120, and iron powder is present in the grease 111. The iron powder in the grease 111 is detected by detecting the time change of the induced voltage. The detector 130 is composed of an oscillating coil 136 that generates an alternating magnetic field and a receiving coil that detects a voltage induced by the alternating magnetic field, which changes due to the presence of iron powder.

The metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment can detect iron powder in the grease 111 with such a simple configuration.

In addition, the oscillating coil 136 of the coil set 131 includes a first oscillating coil 136a and a second oscillating coil 136b that generate alternating magnetic fields in opposite directions. placed in the middle of

Therefore, if there is no iron powder in the grease 111, the alternating magnetic fields generated by the first and second oscillator coils 136a and 136b cancel each other in the receiver coil 138. FIG. On the other hand, if iron powder exists in the grease 111, some alternating magnetic field remains and an induced voltage is generated. Therefore, iron powder in the grease 111 can be detected with high accuracy. Moreover, there is no need to generate a large magnetic field with the oscillation coil 136, and power consumption can be reduced.

Further, the metallic impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an analyzer 140 that analyzes the output data output from the detection device 130 and presents the output waveform to the user as information indicating the presence or absence of metallic impurities (iron powder). Prepare more.

That is, according to the present embodiment, in the analysis device 140, the temporal change in the induced voltage generated by the presence of iron powder in the grease 111 is output as output data. Due to the arrangement of the coil set 131, when the grease 111 does not contain iron powder, the output waveform becomes substantially linear. On the other hand, when even a small amount of iron powder is contained, the output waveform is not linear. Therefore, the user can easily grasp whether iron powder is contained in the grease 111 by looking at such an output waveform.

Further, in the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the holding device 110 is arranged on the loading plate 114 on which the grease 111 is placed and the grease 111, and the distance between the loading plate 114 and the holding device 110 is constant. and a cover plate 113 held in such a manner. The slide guide 120 includes a guide rail 121 having a guide groove that guides the holding device 110 to the surface of the detecting device 130 while keeping a constant distance therebetween.

With such a configuration, according to the present embodiment, the grease 111 is kept substantially planar during detection. Also, the output data indicates the presence or absence of iron powder according to the position in the sliding direction. As described above, the coil sets 131 are arranged at different positions in the width direction (y direction), and output data detected by each coil set 131 can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the grease 111 is spread thinly in a planar shape and brought close to the planar detection device 130, thereby detecting iron powder along two axes (X, Y). In other words, it is possible to inspect the concentration of iron powder contained in the grease 111 with an apparatus having a simple configuration for grasping the two-dimensional distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 .

<<Second Embodiment>>
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, the analysis device 140 analyzes the output of the detection device 130 and outputs a warning according to the distribution of iron powder.

The hardware configuration of the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, description is omitted here.

The information processing unit 141 of the analysis device 140 of this embodiment analyzes the detection result by the detection device 130 as described above, and outputs a warning according to the analysis result. In this embodiment, in order to realize this, the information processing unit 141 of the analysis device 140 of this embodiment includes a content determination unit 151, a distribution calculation unit 152, and a warning output, as shown in FIG. a portion 153; Note that the image analysis unit 154 is a function of the third embodiment, which will be described later.

Each of these functions is implemented by the CPU 141a loading a program previously stored in the storage device 141c into the memory 141b and executing the program.

The content determination unit 151 identifies the maximum absolute value (hereinafter simply referred to as the maximum value) of the detection result (induced voltage) received from the detection device 130 . Then, it is determined whether or not the specified maximum value is equal to or greater than a predetermined detection threshold. If it is equal to or greater than the detection threshold, an instruction is output to the distribution calculation unit 152 to perform distribution analysis.

The detection threshold is a threshold provided for determining whether or not the grease 111 contains iron powder. Therefore, a minimum value close to approximately 0 is set. The detection threshold is stored in the storage device 141c of the information processing section 141 in advance.

The distribution calculator 152 analyzes the iron powder distribution according to the instruction from the content determiner 151 . In the present embodiment, the number of times the detection threshold and the predetermined threshold are exceeded is calculated, based on the number of times, it is specified which of the predetermined distribution characteristics corresponds, and the specified distribution characteristic is used as the analysis result. Output.

For example, the distribution calculator 152 first identifies the maximum absolute value of the output data per unit time (hereinafter simply referred to as the extreme value). Then, in each unit time, it is determined whether or not the extreme value has exceeded the detection threshold and whether or not it has exceeded a predetermined distribution threshold. Then, over the entire detection period, the number of unit times N1 in which the extreme value exceeds the detection threshold and the number of unit times N2 in which the extreme value exceeds the distribution threshold are counted.

Note that the distribution threshold value is set to determine the distribution mode of the iron powder in the grease 111, and is set to a value greater than the detection threshold value. The distribution threshold is set in advance by the user and stored in the storage device 141c.

Each number of times N1, N2 and the distribution characteristics are associated in advance and stored in the storage device 141c. For example, the distribution characteristics are determined using discrimination threshold values T1 and T2 that are set in advance for each number of times N1 and N2, respectively. The distribution calculator 152 obtains the distribution characteristics of the iron powder in the x direction by specifying the distribution characteristics corresponding to the calculated numbers N1 and N2.

Further, the distribution calculator 152 obtains the iron powder distribution characteristics for each predetermined range in the y direction by performing the above processing on the output data (each channel) from each of the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c.

The processing of the content determining unit 151 and the distribution calculating unit 152 will be described with a specific example, taking as an example the case where the iron powder distribution characteristic is any one of FIG. 11(a) to FIG. 12(b). Here, the detection threshold is indicated by a dashed line 241 and the distribution threshold is indicated by a dashed line 243, respectively.

For example, when the output waveform 231 shown in FIG. 11A is obtained, the content determination unit 151 determines that the identified maximum value is less than the predetermined detection threshold. Therefore, an instruction to perform distribution analysis is not output to the distribution calculation unit 152 . Along with this, the distribution calculation unit 152 also does not perform distribution analysis, and does not issue a warning output instruction to the warning output unit 153 .

On the other hand, when the output waveform 232 shown in FIGS. 11(b) to 12(b) is obtained, the content determination unit 151 determines that the specified maximum value is equal to or greater than the predetermined detection threshold. Therefore, an instruction to perform distribution analysis is output to the distribution calculation unit 152 . Upon receiving the instruction, the distribution calculation unit 152 calculates N1 and N2 for each.

For example, the distribution calculator 152 calculates that N1 is 3 times and N2 is 0 times for the output waveform 232 shown in FIG. 11(b). Also, for the output waveform 233 shown in FIG. 11(c), N1 is calculated as three times and N2 is calculated as two times. Also, for the output waveform 234 shown in FIG. 12(a), N1 is calculated as 13 times and N2 is calculated as 0 times. For the output waveform 235 shown in FIG. 12(b), the number of times N1 is calculated as 7 times and the number of times N2 is calculated as 0 times.

Here, it is assumed that three distribution characteristics D1, D2, and D3 are prepared in advance. For example, the distribution characteristic D1 has N1 greater than or equal to 1 and less than the discrimination threshold T1 and N2 less than the discrimination threshold T2, and the distribution characteristic D2 has N1 greater than or equal to 1 and less than the discrimination threshold T1 and N2 greater than or equal to the discrimination threshold T2. , and the distribution characteristic D3 is such that N1 is equal to or greater than the discrimination threshold value T1.

When the output waveform 232 shown in FIG. 11B is obtained, the distribution calculator 152 identifies the distribution characteristic D1 based on the above calculation result. Also, when the output waveform 233 shown in FIG. 11(c) is obtained, it is identified as the distribution characteristic D2 based on the above calculation result. When the output waveform 234 shown in FIG. 12(a) is obtained and when the output waveform 235 shown in FIG. 12(b) is obtained, the distribution characteristic D3 is specified based on the above calculation result. Then, each of the specified distribution characteristics is output to the warning output unit 153 .

The warning output unit 153 outputs output information such as a warning according to a predetermined rule based on the distribution analysis result of the distribution calculation unit 152 .

For example, when the analysis result of at least one channel is the distribution characteristic D1, the distribution of the iron powder in the y-direction region corresponding to the channel in the grease 111 is shown in FIG. means. In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning indicating that observation is required. Furthermore, a message may be output indicating that a small amount of fine iron powder is contained.

Further, when the analysis result of at least one channel is the distribution characteristic D2, it means that the iron powder in the region in the y direction corresponding to the channel in the grease 111 has the distribution as shown in FIG. 11(b). means. In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning indicating that observation is required. Furthermore, a message may be output indicating that a large amount of iron powder is included and there is a high possibility that the grease was mixed in during filling.

Further, when the analysis result of at least one channel is the distribution characteristic D3, the iron powder in the y-direction region corresponding to the channel in the grease 111 is as shown in FIG. distribution. In this case, the warning output unit 153 outputs a warning indicating that the bearing should be replaced and reinspected. Furthermore, a message may be output indicating that iron powder is distributed throughout the grease 111 and that it is likely that the bearing has worn out over time.

Note that the warning to be output for each distribution characteristic is determined in advance and stored in the storage device 141c or the like.

As described above, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has the configuration of the first embodiment, the distribution calculator 152 that calculates the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111, and the warning according to the calculated distribution. A warning output unit 153 for outputting is further provided.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the user can receive a warning according to the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 as well as the graph. As a result, the state of the grease 111 can be more accurately grasped, and the optimum treatment can be performed according to the state of the grease 111 .

In the above embodiment, the maximum value is first determined by the content determining unit 151, but this process may not be performed. In this case, the distribution calculator 152 analyzes all received output data.

For example, in the case of the output waveform 231 shown in FIG. 11(a), both N1 and N2 are calculated as 0. A distribution characteristic in such a case is defined as a distribution characteristic D0, for example. Further, in the warning output unit 153, for example, a process of not outputting a warning or a process of outputting a normality is registered in association with the distribution characteristic D0. When such distribution characteristics are received, the associated processing is performed.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the distribution of iron powder in the grease 111 is specified by the maximum value and the extreme value of the output data, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the content may be calculated, and the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 may be specified based on the calculated content.

The content is calculated, for example, by integrating the output data. For example, the unit content A is specified by performing detection using sample grease containing a unit amount in advance. Then, a multiple of this unit content A is calculated and taken as the content.

At this time, the distribution calculator 152 calculates the content per unit time. Thereby, the distribution calculator 152 quantitatively obtains the iron powder content for each predetermined range in the x direction, that is, the distribution of the iron powder in the x direction. Furthermore, by calculating the content per unit time for the output data from each of the coil sets 131a, 131b, and 131c, the distribution calculation unit 152 calculates the content per predetermined range in the y direction, that is, the y direction Quantitatively obtain the distribution of iron powder in

Also, the distribution may be specified by, for example, pattern matching or the like. In this case, a plurality of output waveforms are registered in advance in association with characteristic distributions of iron powder. The distribution calculator 152 matches the output waveform obtained from the output data with the registered patterns to identify the closest pattern, thereby identifying the distribution characteristics of the iron powder.

<<Third Embodiment>>
Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 100 of either the first embodiment or the second embodiment is equipped with a camera to acquire an image of the grease 111 to be inspected. A case where a camera is provided in the configuration of the first embodiment will be described below as an example.

FIG. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of this embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, and an analysis device 140, similarly to the metal impurity inspection device 100 of the first embodiment. , provided. Further, a camera 170 and an illumination device 160 are provided.

Since the detection device 130 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

The illumination device 160 illuminates the holding device 110 when the camera 170 takes an image of the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 . For this purpose, the illumination device 160 comprises a lamp 161, such as an LED lamp, for example.

The y-direction length (width) of the illumination device 160 is the same as that of the detection device 130 . Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the illumination device 160 is provided so that the position in the y direction is the same as that of the detection device 130, and the upper surface thereof is flush with the upper surface of the detection device 130. be done.

The lamp 161 is arranged so as to irradiate the entire surface of the holding device 110, as shown in FIG.

The camera 170 is a photographing device that photographs the grease 111 held by the holding device 110 . In this embodiment, the camera 170 is mounted on a fixed arm or the like, and is arranged above the illumination device 160 and the holding device 110, as shown in FIG. 13, for example.

The slide guide 120 slidably supports and guides the holding device 110 in the x direction while bringing the holding device 110 close to the upper surface of the detecting device 130 and the upper surface of the lighting device 160, which are on the same plane, at a constant distance. The slide guide 120 includes guide rails 122a and 122b of two embodiments respectively arranged on both sides of the detection device 130 and the illumination device 160 in the y direction over the entire length in the x direction. Guide rails 122 a and 122 b are provided with guide grooves for guiding holding device 110 . The configuration of the guide grooves of the guide rails 122a and 122b is the same as in the first embodiment.

The holding device 110 slides over the detection device 130 and the illumination device 160 in the x-direction by means of the slide guides 120 . When the holding device 110 is positioned above the lighting device 160, the lighting device 160 illuminates the holding device 110 from below.

The holding device 110 includes an enclosing bag 112, a sandwiching plate (cover plate) 113, and a sandwiching plate (placing plate) 114, as in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the camera 170 shoots from above. In addition, the light is illuminated from below by the lighting device 160 . Therefore, for the sealing bag 112, the cover plate 113, and the mounting plate 114, for example, a material having permeability is used. In particular, an acrylic plate or the like is used for the cover plate 113 and the mounting plate 114, for example.

An image of the grease 111 captured by the camera 170 is transmitted to the analysis device 140 . Camera 170 and analysis device 140 are connected by wire or wirelessly.

The analysis device 140 analyzes the output data output from the detection device 130 and presents it to the user, as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the image of the grease 111 transmitted from the camera 170 is also presented to the user. Note that the hardware configuration of the analysis device 140 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted here.

As in the first embodiment, the user can obtain information such as the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 from the graph generated from the detection result by the detection device 130, and can also obtain the information such as the distribution of the iron powder in the grease 111 by looking at the image captured by the camera 170. , distribution information of the iron powder in the grease 111 can be obtained.

As described above, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of the present embodiment includes the camera 170, which is a photographing device for photographing the grease 111 held by the holding device 110, and the grease 111 when the camera 170 photographs the grease 111. and a lighting device 160 that irradiates light to the .

Thereby, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the detection result by the detection device 130, an image of the grease 111 maintained flat can be obtained. Then, the state of the grease 111 can be further observed from the obtained image. Therefore, the state of the grease 111 can be grasped with higher accuracy by the plurality of outputs.

Moreover, in the metal impurity inspection apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, the upper surface of the detection device 130 and the upper surface of the illumination device 160 are arranged on the same plane. Therefore, by sliding the holding device 110 using this surface as a sliding surface, detection by the detection device 130 and photographing by the camera 170 can be achieved by one operation.

In this embodiment, the case where the camera 170 and the lighting device 160 are added to the configuration of the first embodiment has been described as an example. may

In this case, the analysis device 140 further includes an image analysis section 154 as shown in FIG. 5(b). The image analysis unit 154 analyzes the acquired image and outputs the result.

For example, the obtained image is binarized to identify the distribution position of the iron powder. Alternatively, the content may be calculated by binarizing and calculating the area of the iron powder distribution region. Furthermore, the deterioration state of the grease may be determined from the color of the grease 111 . A color used as a judgment reference is set in advance and stored in the analysis device 140 .

<Modification 1>
In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the illumination device 160 is arranged such that the upper surface of the detection device 130 and the upper surface of the illumination device 160 are flush with each other. However, the arrangement of lighting device 160 is not limited to this. For example, the detection device 130 may be configured to be detachable and attached to the illumination device 160 as required.

FIG. 15 shows an overall configuration diagram of the metal impurity inspection apparatus 102 of this modification. As shown in the figure, the metal impurity inspection apparatus 102 of this embodiment includes a holding device 110, a slide guide 120, a detection device 130, an analysis device 140, a camera 170, and an illumination device 160.

Basically, the structures with the same names as the third embodiment have the same functions. However, in this embodiment, the detection device 130 is configured to be detachable. The slide guide 120 also includes guide rails 123a and 123b having guide grooves arranged on both sides of the illumination device 160 in the y direction. Hereinafter, the guide rail 123 will be used as a representative when there is no need to distinguish between them.

As shown in FIG. 16( a ), the guide rail 123 has a first guide groove 124 for inserting and holding the detection device 130 as a guide groove, and a holding device 110 fixed to the surface (upper surface) of the detection device 130 . A second guide groove 125 is provided for slidably supporting and guiding in the -x direction while adjoining at a distance. The first guide groove 124 is provided closer to the illumination device 160 than the second guide groove 125 is.

When detecting the distribution of iron powder, the detection device 130 is inserted into the first guide groove 124 . Then, the holding device 110 is inserted into the second guide groove 125 and slid in the -x direction to detect iron powder in the grease 111 . On the other hand, when photographing the grease 111, the detection device 130 is removed. By removing the detection device 130 , the holding device 110 inserted into the second guide groove 125 can be illuminated from the illumination device 160 .

The configuration of the detection device 130 and the configuration of the illumination device 160 are the same as those of the third embodiment with the same name, as shown in FIGS. 16(b) and 16(c). Also, the height of the first guide groove 124 in the z direction is the minimum height at which the detection device 130 can be inserted. Also, the height of the second guide groove 125 in the z direction is the minimum height at which the holding device 110 can slide.

By configuring in this way, according to this modified example, the device size in the x direction can be reduced.

<Modification 2>
In the third embodiment, the cover plate 113, which is a sandwich plate on the camera 170 side of the holding device 110, may be a filter that transmits only a specific wavelength. By using such a filter for the cover plate 113, the component of foreign matter contained in the grease 111 can be identified.

For example, the image analysis unit 154 takes an image of grease that does not contain any foreign matter in advance using a filter, and stores the image as a reference image. Then, the grease 111 is photographed using the same filter, and the component is discriminated based on the difference in absorptivity between the obtained image and the reference image.

Alternatively, a plurality of filters that transmit different wavelengths may be prepared, and an image of the grease 111 may be acquired with each filter. In this case, the image analysis unit 154 identifies the component by calculating the ratio of the wavelength signals of each pixel.

<Modification 3>
Furthermore, a predetermined pattern may be provided on the mounting plate 114, which is a sandwiching plate of the holding device 110 on the lighting device 160 side. In this case, the analyzer 140 calculates the iron powder content from the detection amount of the predetermined pattern in the image captured in this mode.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the number and locations of the coil sets 131 installed in the detection device 130 are not limited. It is sufficient that the holding device 110 is arranged so that the entire width direction (y direction) of the holding device 110 can be detected. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, additional coil sets 131 may be placed at different positions in the x-direction to fill the gaps in the y-direction. This further reduces measurement leakage.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, power sources for the detection device 130 and the lighting device 160 are omitted from the illustration. The power source may be a built-in or externally connected battery, or an external power supply such as purchased power.

Further, for the detecting device 130 of each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example, a handrail inspection device built into a handrail of a passenger conveyor, as shown in FIG. 18, may be used. This handrail inspection device has a first oscillating coil, a second oscillating coil that generate alternating magnetic fields in opposite directions to each other, and a receiving coil located in the middle or in the vicinity of them, arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction on the bottom surface. A plurality of coil sets are staggered in the width direction, and when the handrail passes over the coil sets, the deterioration of the steel cord built in the handrail is inspected with a high SN ratio.

By applying the existing device in this manner, a highly reliable device can be obtained at a low development cost.

Furthermore, although the metal impurity inspection apparatuses 100, 101, and 102 of each of the above-described embodiments and modifications include the analysis device 140, the analysis device 140 may not be provided. In this case, for example, the detection device 130 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a communication section. Then, the detection result may be temporarily stored in ROM or RAM, and may be configured to be output to an external device as needed. The detection result is analyzed by an external device at the output destination.

In each of the above-described embodiments, each function of the analysis device 140 is implemented by the CPU 141a executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, all or part of the functions may be realized by hardware such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and FPGA (field-programmable gate array).

Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described in the above-described embodiments.

Moreover, in each drawing, control lines and information lines that are considered necessary for explanation are described, and not all control lines and information lines that are necessary as a product are necessarily described. It may be considered that almost all components are interconnected in an actual product.

Moreover, the present invention can take various other applications and modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

100: Metal impurity inspection device, 101: Metal impurity inspection device, 102: Metal impurity inspection device,
110: holding device, 111: grease, 111f: iron powder, 112: enclosure bag, 113: clamping plate (cover plate), 114: clamping plate (placing plate),
120: slide guide, 121: guide rail, 121a: guide rail, 121b: guide rail, 122: guide rail, 122a: guide rail, 122b: guide rail, 123: guide rail, 123a: guide rail, 123b: guide rail, 124: first guide groove, 125: second guide groove,
130: detector, 131: coil set, 131a: coil set, 131b: coil set, 131c: coil set, 132: alternating current generator, 133: receiver, 136: oscillation coil, 136a: first oscillation coil, 136b: second oscillation coil, 138: receiving coil,
140: analysis device, 141: information processing unit, 141a: CPU, 141b: memory, 141c: storage device, 142: communication unit, 143: operation unit, 144: display unit, 151: content determination unit, 152: distribution calculation unit, 153: warning output unit, 154: image analysis unit,
160: lighting device, 161: lamp, 170: camera,
211: output waveform, 212: output waveform, 213: output waveform, 221a: output waveform, 221b: output waveform, 221c: output waveform, 222a: output waveform, 222b: output waveform, 222c: output waveform, 223a: output waveform, 223b: output waveform, 223c: output waveform, 231: output waveform, 232: output waveform, 233: output waveform, 234: output waveform, 235: output waveform, 241: dashed line, 243: broken line

Claims (11)

A metal impurity inspection device for detecting metal impurities contained in a viscous substance, which is a substance having viscosity,
a holding device for holding the viscous substance with a constant thickness;
a detection device for detecting the metal impurities in the viscous substance;
a slide guide for slidably guiding the holding device over the detection device;
The detection device comprises a plurality of coil sets each having an oscillating coil and a receiving coil alternately arranged in a direction in which the holding device slides,
The oscillating coil generates an alternating magnetic field,
The receiving coil outputs as output data a magnetic field waveform based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the oscillating coil,
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, wherein each of the plurality of coil sets is arranged at different positions in a direction orthogonal to a sliding direction on a sliding surface on which the holding device slides. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
The coil set is
The oscillating coil comprises a first oscillating coil and a second oscillating coil that generate alternating magnetic fields in opposite directions;
The metal impurity inspection apparatus, wherein the receiving coil is arranged between the first oscillation coil and the second oscillation coil. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, further comprising an analysis device that analyzes the output data output from the detection device and presents information indicating the presence or absence of the metal impurities to a user. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
The holding device is
a mounting plate on which the viscous substance is mounted;
a cover plate arranged on the viscous substance and held so as to maintain a constant distance from the mounting plate. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
The metal impurity inspection device, wherein the slide guide includes a guide rail having a guide groove that guides the holding device while bringing it close to the surface of the detection device at a constant distance. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 3,
A metal impurity inspection device, wherein the analysis device includes a distribution calculator that calculates the distribution of the metal impurities. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 6,
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, wherein the analyzer further comprises a warning output unit that outputs a warning according to the obtained distribution. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
an imaging device for imaging the viscous substance held by the holding device;
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, further comprising: an illumination device that irradiates the viscous substance with light when the imaging device photographs the viscous substance. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 8,
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, wherein an upper surface of the detection device and an upper surface of the illumination device are arranged on the same plane. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 8,
A metal impurity inspection apparatus, wherein the detection device is detachably provided on the illumination device. The metal impurity inspection device according to claim 1,
A metal impurity inspection device, wherein the detection device is a handrail inspection device for a passenger conveyor.

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