JP7165114B2 - SURFACE PROFILE MONITORING DEVICE, WEAR MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND SURFACE PROFILE MONITORING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a surface shape monitoring device, a wear amount measuring system, and a surface shape monitoring system.

For example, in a conveyor belt for conveying objects, an endless belt (endless belt) having both ends joined is used as a main belt. Since conveyed objects are repeatedly stacked on the surface of the main body belt, the cover rubber forming the outer surface of the main body belt wears out as it is used. If the amount of wear exceeds a certain value, cores such as canvas and steel cords embedded inside the main belt may be exposed and cut, and furthermore, the main belt may be cut. If the main body belt is cut, it takes a lot of time and money to restore it. For this reason, the wear amount (remaining thickness) of the main belt of the conveyor belt is periodically inspected, and if the wear amount is large, the worn position of the main belt is specified and repaired, or the main belt is replaced. Maintenance work is required.

As a device for measuring the amount of wear of a conveyor belt, a wear visualizing member whose cross-sectional area gradually changes along the thickness direction of the main belt is embedded in the cover rubber layer, and the portion of the wear visualizing member exposed on the conveyor belt surface is imaged. Therefore, there is known a wear amount measuring device that detects the wear amount of the conveyor belt based on the image information (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-202933).

In the above-described conventional wear amount measuring device, an alarm is given by controlling the alarm device according to the detected amount of wear of the conveyor belt, and maintenance work for the main body belt is performed based on this alarm. This maintenance work must be done with the conveyor belt stopped. However, in general, judgment based on image information tends to cause erroneous judgment, and there are cases where no abnormality is found when the conveyor belt is stopped and checked. Since it takes a relatively long time to stop and restart the conveyor belt, the operational loss caused by such an erroneous determination cannot be ignored, and reduction of the operational loss is desired.

In addition to the wear of the main belt, the main belt abnormalities that require maintenance work include the accumulation of deposits on the main belt, cracks in the main belt, longitudinal tears, and bites. A conventional wear measuring device cannot detect these abnormalities. Therefore, in order to detect various kinds of abnormalities, a large number of detection devices must be separately prepared, requiring space for installation and device cost. Therefore, there is a need for a surface profile monitoring device capable of detecting various abnormalities in the main body belt.

JP 2015-202933 A

The present invention has been made based on the circumstances as described above, and can detect various abnormalities of the conveyor belt surface with a single inexpensive device, thereby reducing the operational loss caused by erroneous determination of the abnormalities of the conveyor belt surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface shape monitoring device that can be worn and a wear measurement system using this surface shape monitoring device.

The invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a conveyor belt surface shape monitoring device that is included in a conveyor system together with a pair of pulleys and that conveys a conveyed object, the device for monitoring the surface shape of the conveyor belt at a wide angle in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt. a line laser that irradiates a laser, a camera that captures the reflected light of the line laser from the surface of the conveyor belt, a pattern extraction unit that extracts a specific pattern drawn by the reflected light from an image captured by the camera, and A position specifying mechanism for specifying a position on the surface of the conveyor belt of the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit based on the extraction timing, and an image for acquiring a surface image of the conveyor belt at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism. and an obtaining unit.

The surface shape monitoring device can detect unevenness in the width direction of the conveyor belt surface by a so-called optical cutting method using reflected light of a line laser irradiated to the surface of the conveyor belt. In the surface profile monitoring device, the pattern extraction unit can detect various abnormalities such as wear, deposition of deposits, cracks, longitudinal tears, and jamming on the conveyor belt surface from the uneven pattern of the conveyor belt surface. . In the surface shape monitoring device, the position specifying mechanism specifies the position of the pattern on the surface of the conveyor belt, and the image acquisition unit acquires the surface image of the conveyor belt at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism. Therefore, even when an abnormality is observed on the surface of the conveyor belt, the surface shape monitoring device can confirm the surface condition without stopping the conveyor belt. Therefore, by using the surface profile monitoring device, it is possible to reduce the operational loss caused by erroneous determination of abnormalities on the conveyor belt surface. Furthermore, the surface shape monitoring device can be constructed at low cost with a small number of required devices.

The camera may be used for image acquisition by the image acquisition unit. By using the camera for image acquisition by the image acquisition unit, the number of devices constituting the surface shape monitoring device can be further reduced, so that the manufacturing cost of the surface shape monitoring device can be reduced.

Another invention made to solve the above problems is the surface shape monitoring device and a belt thickness at least one point in the width direction of the conveyor belt that can be continuously measured in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. A wear amount calculation unit that calculates the wear amount of the conveyor belt using a thickness measuring device, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt measured by the thickness measuring device, and the pattern extracted by the surface shape monitoring device. and a wear amount measurement system.

The wear amount measuring system measures the belt thickness at at least one point in the width direction of the conveyor belt using a thickness measuring device. Therefore, when the conveyor belt wears uniformly in the width direction, the wear amount measuring system can detect the wear from the measurement result of this thickness measuring device. Further, since the wear amount measuring system includes the surface profile monitoring device of the present invention, it is possible to detect unevenness in the width direction of the conveyor belt surface. Therefore, when the conveyor belt is partially worn in the width direction, the wear amount measurement system can detect the wear from unevenness in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt. Thus, the wear measurement system can detect wear of the conveyor belt regardless of the wear pattern. In addition, since the wear amount measuring system includes the surface shape monitoring device of the present invention, it is possible to check the state of the surface without stopping the conveyor belt when wear of the conveyor belt is observed. Therefore, by using the wear amount measuring system, it is possible to reduce the operational loss caused by erroneous determination of abnormality of the conveyor belt surface. Furthermore, the wear amount measurement system can be constructed at low cost with a small number of required devices.

Still another invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a conveyor system having a pair of pulleys and a conveyor belt that is constructed to run between the pair of pulleys, and a surface shape monitoring apparatus according to the present invention. and a laser light irradiation position of the line laser is a position facing the pulley, and the surface shape monitoring device detects the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit as a density distribution based on the thickness of the conveyor belt. The surface profile monitoring system further includes a display for displaying images.

In the surface profile monitoring system, the laser beam irradiation position of the line laser is set to face the pulley. Since the position of the conveyor belt is easily fixed by the pulleys, even when measuring the surface shape from one side of the conveyor belt, the thickness of the conveyor belt at the laser beam irradiation position can be calculated. This allows the surface profile monitoring system to detect even if the surface is evenly worn. In addition, in the surface shape monitoring system, the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit is displayed as a grayscale distribution image based on the thickness of the conveyor belt, so visibility is improved, and the condition of the surface of the conveyor belt can be confirmed on the image. can be made easier.

Here, the "conveyance direction" of the conveyor belt refers to the direction in which the goods stacked on the surface of the conveyor belt in operation advance.

As described above, the surface profile monitoring apparatus of the present invention can detect various conveyor belt surface abnormalities with a single inexpensive apparatus. In addition, the surface profile monitoring device of the present invention and the wear amount measurement system using this surface profile monitoring device can reduce operational loss caused by erroneous determination of abnormalities on the conveyor belt surface.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a surface shape monitoring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic top view of the surface profile monitoring device of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a pattern showing a worn conveyor belt. FIG. 4 is a pattern showing the buildup of deposits on the conveyor belt. FIG. 5 is a pattern showing that the conveyor belt is in a cracked state. FIG. 6 is a pattern showing that the conveyor belt is in a state of longitudinal cracking. FIG. 7 is a pattern showing that the conveyor belt is jammed. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing a wear amount measuring system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a schematic top view of the wear amount measuring system of FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a wear amount measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention different from FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of calculating the thickness of the conveyor belt in the wear amount measuring system of FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a surface profile monitoring system according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 14 is an example of a distorted pattern. FIG. 15 is an example of a pattern with distortion different from that in FIG. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a grayscale distribution image displayed by the display unit in FIG. 13 .

[First embodiment]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A first embodiment of a surface shape monitoring device and a wear amount measuring system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

[Surface shape monitoring device]
A surface shape monitoring device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a surface shape monitoring device for a conveyor belt X1 used as a main belt of a conveyor system X. A line for irradiating a wide-angle laser beam in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 a laser 11, a camera 12 for photographing the reflected light of the line laser 11 from the surface of the conveyor belt X1, a pattern extractor 13 for extracting a specific pattern drawn by the reflected light from the photographed image of the camera 12, and the extraction timing. a position specifying mechanism 14 for specifying the position on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 of the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit 13 based on, and image acquisition for acquiring a surface image of the conveyor belt X1 at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism 14 a part 15; It should be noted that the surface shape monitoring apparatus 1 uses the camera 12 as the image acquisition unit 15 .

<Conveyor system>
The conveyor system X is configured such that a conveyor belt X1 is stretched between a pair of pulleys X2 and can run. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyor system X is provided with support rollers X3 for supporting the conveyor belt X1 from below between pulleys X2 as required.

The conveyor belt X1 is configured as an endless belt in which both ends of a strip-shaped flat belt are joined at joints Z. As shown in FIG. The conveyor belt X1 may have a core such as canvas inside, but at least the outer surface and the inner surface are made of cover rubber.

The material of the cover rubber of the conveyor belt X1 is not particularly limited as long as it has flexibility and elasticity. ), isoprene rubber (IR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR, NIR, etc.) and the like can be used singly or in combination. Also, the conveyor belt X1 may have a multi-layer structure.

The width of the conveyor belt X1 is appropriately determined according to the size of the object Y to be conveyed, the amount of conveyance per hour, and the like, and can be, for example, 300 mm or more and 3000 mm or less. Further, the length of the conveyor belt X1 is appropriately determined according to the distance for conveying the article Y, and can be, for example, 10 m or more and 40000 m or less.

The lower limit of the average thickness of the conveyor belt X1 is preferably 8 mm, more preferably 10 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the conveyor belt X1 is preferably 50 mm, more preferably 30 mm. If the average thickness of the conveyor belt X1 is less than the above lower limit, the strength of the conveyor belt X1 may be insufficient. Conversely, if the average thickness of the conveyor belt X1 exceeds the above upper limit, the flexibility of the conveyor belt X1 is insufficient, and it may become difficult to wind it around the outer circumference of the pulley X2.

Further, a plurality of steel cords, for example, may be embedded in the conveyor belt X1 so as to be parallel to the conveying direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1). By embedding a plurality of steel cords in this way, the tension applied to the conveyor belt X1 can be maintained, and a wide belt or a belt for long-distance transportation can be realized.

Materials for the pulley X2 and the support roller X3 are not particularly limited as long as they can drive or support the conveyor belt X1, but metal such as steel can be used, for example.

The diameter of the pulley X2 is appropriately determined according to the use of the conveyor system X, etc., but the lower limit of the diameter of the pulley X2 is preferably 80 mm, more preferably 100 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the diameter of the pulley X2 is preferably 3000 mm, more preferably 2500 mm. If the diameter of the pulley X2 is less than the above lower limit, high-speed rotation is required to increase the traveling speed of the conveyor belt X1, which may unnecessarily increase energy consumption. On the other hand, if the diameter of the pulley X2 exceeds the above upper limit, the height of the conveyor system X becomes unnecessarily high, which may make installation difficult.

The conveyor system X may be provided with a blade-type cleaner X4 on the return side behind the conveying completion point of the article Y as shown in FIG.

During the operation of the conveyor system X (during the running of the conveyor belt X1), the article to be conveyed Y is placed on the upper outer surface of the suspended conveyor belt X1, and is downstream of the conveyor belt X1 (to the right in FIG. 1). be transported. Then, when the conveyor belt X1 is turned back by the pulley X2 on the downstream side, the article to be conveyed Y is released downward like the article to be conveyed Y1 shown in FIG. 1, and the conveyance is completed. However, there is a product Y, such as the product Y2 shown in FIG. 1, that does not separate from the conveyor belt X1 near the pulley X2 on the downstream side, sticks to the surface of the conveyor belt X1, and moves upstream. . The blade-type cleaner X4 prevents such adherence of the transported material Y. As shown in FIG.

The blade-type cleaner X4 can remove the conveyed object Y2 and the like adhering to the conveyor belt X1 by pressing one or more blades (one blade in FIG. 1) against the running conveyor belt X1.

<Line laser>
The line laser 11 irradiates the surface of the conveyor belt X1 with laser light in a line. A known line laser can be used as the line laser 11 .

The line drawn by irradiating the surface of the conveyor belt X1 with the line laser 11 is preferably formed of a continuous straight line, but may be formed of a plurality of intermittent straight lines or a plurality of bright spots. . When the line is formed by a plurality of straight lines or a plurality of bright spots, the interval between them is preferably 0.5 mm or less from the viewpoint of surface shape extraction accuracy.

It is preferable that the irradiation direction of the line laser 11 is not inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. That is, it is preferable that the line laser 11 irradiate the laser from the normal direction of the conveyor belt X1. By irradiating the laser beam in this manner, even if there is a flaw, such as a crack, that is short in the conveying direction and deep in the thickness direction of the belt, the laser beam can easily reach the inside of the flaw. can accurately detect various anomalies. Here, in the "normal direction of the conveyor belt", which is the irradiation direction of the line laser 11, the angle formed by the central axis of the irradiation direction of the line laser 11 and the contact surface of the conveyor belt X1 at the irradiation position of the laser light is shall include the range of 80 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. When the line laser 11 irradiates while scanning the laser light in the width direction, "the central axis of the line laser irradiation direction" refers to the central axis of the laser irradiation at the center position of the range to be scanned. .

The line formed by the laser light is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1. In this way, by irradiating the surface of the conveyor belt X1 with a laser beam in a line and making the line formed by the laser beam perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1, localized Abnormalities that occur randomly can be determined more reliably with a short line length.

The lower limit of the line length of the laser beam is preferably 50%, more preferably 70%, of the width of the conveyor belt X1. On the other hand, the upper limit of the line length of the laser beam is preferably 100% of the width of the conveyor belt X1, more preferably 90%. By setting the line length of the laser light within the above range, it is possible to make it difficult to overlook an abnormality that locally occurs on the conveyor belt X1.

The laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 11 is preferably a position facing the pulley X2. Since the position of the conveyor belt X1 passing through the pulley X2 is easily fixed by the pulley X2, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the surface shape monitoring device 1 erroneously determines that the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is abnormal due to vibration of the conveyor belt X1.

The laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 11 is more preferably a position facing the upstream pulley X2 of the pair of pulleys X2, and faces the center axis of the pulley X2 in the horizontal direction or above the horizontal direction. A position facing the central axis of the pulley X2 in the horizontal direction is particularly preferred. Since the conveyor belt X1 passing through the upstream pulley X2 has been cleaned of deposits by the blade type cleaner X4, the laser beam irradiation position is set to face the upstream pulley X2, so that the surface shape of the belt X1 can be improved. It is possible to reduce the possibility that the monitoring device 1 erroneously determines that the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is abnormal. Further, since the conveyor belt X1 is normally driven by the pulley X2 on the downstream side, the pulley X2 on the upstream side does not have a driving device or the like, and the line laser 11 can be easily installed. Further, by making the laser beam irradiation position face the central axis of the pulley X2 in the horizontal direction or above the horizontal direction, the photographing direction of the camera 12 does not face upward, so dust and the like do not accumulate on the lens of the camera 12. , it is possible to prevent deterioration of the photographing ability. Furthermore, since the tension in the conveying direction applied to the conveyor belt X1 is the largest at the position facing the central axis of the pulley X2 in the horizontal direction, the vibration of the conveyor belt X1 is particularly difficult to occur. It is possible to further reduce the possibility of erroneously determining an abnormality on the surface of the conveyor belt X1.

The upper limit of the line width of the laser light is preferably 5 mm, more preferably 3 mm. If the line width of the laser beam exceeds the upper limit, the output of the line laser 11 becomes unnecessarily large, which may increase the monitoring cost of the surface shape monitoring device 1 . On the other hand, the lower limit of the line width of the laser beam is not particularly limited as long as the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 can be confirmed, but it can be set to 0.1 mm, for example.

The wavelength of the laser light is not particularly limited as long as the image can be captured by the camera 12. For example, the lower limit of the wavelength of the laser light is preferably 500 nm, more preferably 550 nm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the wavelength of the laser light is preferably 800 nm, more preferably 750 nm. When the wavelength of the laser light is within the above range, it is easy to obtain a strong reflected light particularly for the black conveyor belt X1.

Although a single line laser 11 may be used to irradiate the conveyor belt X1 at a wide angle in the width direction, as shown in FIG. The laser may be irradiated at a wide angle in the width direction. When a plurality of line lasers 11 are used, the irradiation angle of the laser light approaches a right angle with respect to the surface of the conveyor belt X1 even at the end portion in the width direction irradiated by one line laser 11. Therefore, the surface shape monitoring apparatus 1 can capture various abnormalities more accurately.

<Camera>
As described above, the camera 12 captures the reflected light of the line laser 11 from the surface of the conveyor belt X1 from a position inclined in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1. By photographing from an inclined position in this way, it is possible to obtain an image in which the reflected light of the line laser 11 is shaded by the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. As the camera 12, a known imaging device such as a CCD camera, a CMOS camera, or the like can be used. Also, a smart camera capable of high-speed image capturing and image data analysis of the pattern extraction unit 13, which will be described later, can be used.

It is preferable that the central axis of the image capturing direction of the camera 12 overlaps the irradiation position of the line laser 11 on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 in a side view. The lower limit of the angle formed by the central axis of the image capturing direction of the camera 12 and the central axis of the irradiation direction of the line laser 11 (θ in FIG. 1, hereinafter also simply referred to as “angle θ”) is preferably 20 degrees, and 30 degrees. degree is more preferred. On the other hand, the upper limit of the angle θ is preferably 60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees. If the angle θ is less than the lower limit, there is a possibility that the influence of diffused reflection of the laser beam due to, for example, wetting of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 with water is likely to occur. Conversely, if the angle θ exceeds the upper limit, there is a risk that the accuracy of extracting the uneven shape of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 will drop.

The camera 12 is preferably arranged so that at least the entire line formed by the line laser 11 can be photographed. For example, the entire line can be photographed by adjusting the distance between the camera 12 and the surface of the conveyor belt X1.

Although the entire line may be photographed by a plurality of cameras 12, it is preferable to photograph by one camera 12. FIG. By photographing with one camera 12, there is no need to synthesize images photographed by different cameras, adjust luminance, etc., so pattern extraction in the pattern extraction unit 13 can be facilitated.

<Pattern Extractor>
The pattern extraction unit 13 can be realized by a microcontroller that receives image data captured by the camera 12 and analyzes the data, for example.

The pattern extraction unit 13 acquires the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 from the captured image data of the camera 12 by the light section method. Specifically, the procedure is as follows. The incident angle of the reflected light from the line laser 11 at each coordinate position of the image to the camera 12 can be obtained from the shadow of the captured image data of the camera 12 . Since the angle of incidence of the line laser 11 on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 at the corresponding position is known, the distance of the corresponding position from the line laser 11 or the camera 12 can be known by the principle of triangulation. Therefore, by calculating the distance in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 using the reflected light of the line laser 11, it is possible to obtain a pattern representing the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1.

An example of the pattern acquired in this way is shown in FIG. 3 together with the conveyor belt X1. Conveyor belt X1 in FIG. 3 is worn and dented in the central part of the surface. In this case, the pattern extractor 13 calculates that the distance from the line laser 11 or the camera 12 is large, that is, the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is distant from the line laser 11 or the camera 12 and becomes thin. Since the extent is specified by the distance from the line laser 11 or the camera 12, the pattern extractor 13 extracts a pattern L1 with a gently dented central portion as shown in FIG. Therefore, since the shape of the pattern L1 corresponds to the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1, it can be determined that the central portion of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is worn.

Actually, it may be a minor wear that does not need to be judged as an abnormality on the surface of the conveyor belt X1. For this reason, for example, the depth of the dent (D in FIG. 3) is calculated from the obtained pattern, and if the depth D is equal to or greater than a certain value, the pattern is identified as having abnormal wear on the conveyor belt X1. It is preferable to set a threshold such as

Specific patterns that can be determined as abnormalities on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 other than the wear described above will be described below. Note that the following description is an example, and does not mean that an abnormality other than that described here cannot be detected. Further, in order to distinguish from slight wear in each pattern, it is preferable to set a threshold according to the shape of each pattern as in the case of the above-described wear. The above threshold is appropriately determined according to the type of abnormality to be detected and the specifications of the conveyor belt X1.

A pattern L2 shown in FIG. 4 is a pattern in which the central portion of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is gently swollen. This pattern L2 means that deposits that cannot be removed even by the blade type cleaner X4 are deposited on the surface of the conveyor belt X1.

A pattern L3 shown in FIG. 5 is a pattern in which a portion of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is cut with a sharp triangular cross section. The triangular cross section means that the cut from the front surface does not reach the back surface of the conveyor belt X1. In other words, this pattern L3 is a pattern indicating that the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is cracked.

A pattern L4 shown in FIG. 6 is a pattern in which a portion of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is cut with a trapezoidal cross section. The trapezoidal cross section means that the notch from the front surface reaches the back surface. In other words, this pattern L4 is a pattern indicating that the surface of the conveyor belt X1 is in a state of having a longitudinal crack.

A pattern L5 shown in FIG. 7 is a pattern in which a convex portion is generated in a narrow range on the surface of the conveyor belt X1. This pattern L5 occurs when part of the conveyor belt X1 is caught and turned up.

<Positioning Mechanism>
The position specifying mechanism 14 has a reflective displacement gauge. The reflective displacement gauge can relatively easily and accurately measure the distance to the detection position on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 using a laser beam. Conveyor belt X1 has irregularities on its surface, particularly near joint Z. As shown in FIG. Therefore, by measuring and analyzing the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 using a reflective displacement meter, it is possible to recognize the joint Z, for example. Since the conveyor belt X1 runs at a constant speed, the position specifying mechanism 14 recognizes this junction Z at constant time intervals. The running speed of the conveyor belt X1 can be calculated from the period.

Here, consider a case where the pattern extraction unit 13 has extracted an abnormality in the conveyor belt X1. The distance between the camera 12 and the position specifying mechanism 14 is determined by the arrangement of the devices of the surface profile monitoring device 1 and is known. On the other hand, since the position specifying mechanism 14 can calculate the traveling speed of the conveyor belt X1 and the position of the joint Z at the above extraction timing, the position of the joint Z at the position where the abnormality of the conveyor belt X1 is extracted is determined based on this information. It is possible to identify the position relative to the In other words, the position identifying mechanism 14 can identify the position of the pattern extracted by the pattern extractor 13 on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 based on the extraction timing.

Since the position of the pattern can be specified based on the period of unevenness in this way, there is no need to provide a special configuration for specifying the position on the conveyor belt X1. Therefore, the surface profile monitoring device 1 can be used for existing conveyor belts, for example, and versatility can be enhanced.

Although the position specifying mechanism 14 recognizes the position of the joint Z and specifies the position on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 of the pattern extracted based on the position of the joint Z, other methods have been described. The position may be specified by For example, a method may be used in which the position specifying mechanism 14 directly recognizes a repeating pattern of unevenness on the entire surface of the conveyor belt X1.

The arrangement position of the position specifying mechanism 14 is not particularly limited as long as the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 can be measured. By disposing a certain distance upstream of the image acquisition unit 15, the image acquisition position of the image acquisition unit 15, which will be described later, can be recognized, and the time lag that occurs when the image acquisition unit 15 takes an image can be easily absorbed. . In addition, by arranging it near the image acquisition unit 15, the time from when the position specifying mechanism 14 specifies the position to when it reaches the image acquisition position becomes relatively short, so fluctuations in the running speed of the conveyor belt X1, etc. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an error in the image acquisition position.

<Image acquisition unit>
The surface shape monitoring device 1 uses the camera 12 for image acquisition by the image acquisition unit 15 . By using the camera 12 for image acquisition by the image acquisition unit 15 in this way, the number of devices constituting the surface shape monitoring device 1 can be reduced, so that the manufacturing cost of the surface shape monitoring device 1 can be reduced.

Specifically, the surface of the conveyor belt X<b>1 specified by the position specifying mechanism 14 is photographed by the camera 12 . The captured image may be checked by the operator on the spot, or may be transmitted to a predetermined location in real time using a known LAN or other communication facility for centralized management.

In the surface shape monitoring device 1, the image obtained by the image acquisition unit 15 is checked, and when an abnormality is found on the surface of the conveyor belt X1, the conveyor belt X1 can be stopped for maintenance work.

<Advantages>
The surface shape monitoring device 1 can detect unevenness in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 by a so-called light cutting method using reflected light of the line laser 11 irradiated to the surface of the conveyor belt X1. In the surface shape monitoring device 1, the pattern extraction unit 13 detects various abnormalities such as wear, deposition of deposits, cracks, longitudinal tears, and jamming on the surface of the conveyor belt X1 from the uneven pattern on the surface of the conveyor belt X1. can do. In the surface shape monitoring device 1, the position specifying mechanism 14 specifies the position of the pattern on the surface of the conveyor belt X1, and the image acquisition unit 15 acquires the surface image of the conveyor belt X1 at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism 14. to get Therefore, even when an abnormality is observed on the surface of the conveyor belt X1, the surface shape monitoring device 1 can confirm the surface condition without stopping the conveyor belt X1. Therefore, by using the surface shape monitoring device 1, it is possible to reduce the operational loss caused by the erroneous determination of the abnormality of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. Furthermore, the surface shape monitoring device 1 can be constructed at low cost with a small number of required devices.

[Wear measurement system]
The wear amount measuring system 2 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 uses the surface shape monitoring device 1 shown in FIGS. Using a continuously measurable thickness measuring device 20, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 measured by the thickness measuring device 20, and the pattern extracted by the surface shape monitoring device 1, the wear amount of the conveyor belt X1 and a wear amount calculation unit 30 for calculating the

Since the conveyor belt X1 and the surface shape monitoring device 1 can be configured in the same manner as the conveyor belt X1 and the surface shape monitoring device 1 shown in FIGS.

<Thickness measuring device>
The thickness measuring device 20 includes a pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 facing each other across the conveyor belt X1.

The reflective displacement meter 21 irradiates the surface of the conveyor belt X1 with laser light and detects the reflected light at the laser irradiation position, thereby accurately measuring the distance to the irradiation position. A pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 are arranged facing each other so that their laser light irradiation axes overlap. The pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 can measure the distances to the front and back surfaces of the conveyor belt X1, respectively, and the distance between the pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 is known. The belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 can be calculated. Further, since the conveyor belt X1 runs in the conveying direction, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 can be continuously measured in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1 by the pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 .

As for the position of the thickness measuring device 20 with respect to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1, it is preferable to be behind the blade-type cleaner X4 on the return side behind the conveying completion point of the article. Since the position behind the blade-type cleaner X4 is the position where there is the least adhering matter on the conveyor belt X1, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 can be measured with relatively high accuracy.

The measurement position of the thickness measuring device 20 in the width direction of the conveyor belt X<b>1 is set within the laser light irradiation range of the line laser 11 . Although the measurement position is not particularly limited, it is preferable to avoid the edge of the conveyor belt X1 which is susceptible to skewing or meandering. Specifically, it is preferably separated from the end in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 by 10% or more of the total width. On the other hand, the measurement position may be the center of the conveyor belt X1, but it is preferable to set it to a position where wear is relatively difficult, that is, a position 30% or less of the entire width from the end of the width direction of the conveyor belt X1.

The laser beam irradiation axes of the pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 may be orthogonal to the surface of the conveyor belt X1 at the laser beam irradiation position, but may be inclined from the normal direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1 to the conveying direction. good too. By inclining the irradiation axes of the laser beams of the pair of reflective displacement gauges 21 in the conveying direction, it is easy to dispose the reflective displacement gauges 21 in a narrow space between the conveying side and the return side of the conveyor belt X1. may be. In addition, especially in the reflective displacement gauge 21 which is positioned on the lower side and emits a laser beam upward, it is possible to prevent dust particles, etc., which may fall from the lower surface of the return side belt of the conveyor belt X1, from accumulating on the laser emitting surface. can do.

When the laser beam irradiation axis of the reflective displacement gauge 21 is inclined in the conveying direction, the inclination angle from the normal direction is preferably 30° or less. By making the inclination angle equal to or less than the upper limit, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 can be measured with high accuracy.

<Wear Amount Calculator>
The wear amount calculation unit 30 is realized by a microcontroller that inputs the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 measured by the thickness measuring device 20 and the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit 13 of the surface shape monitoring device 1 and performs analysis. can. When a microcontroller is used for the pattern extraction section 13, the microcontroller for the pattern extraction section 13 and the microcontroller for the wear amount calculation section 30 may be the same microcontroller.

Specifically, the wear amount calculator 30 calculates the belt thickness in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 according to the following procedure. First, the wear amount calculation unit 30 can obtain information on unevenness in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X<b>1 by the pattern extraction unit 13 . Also, the wear amount calculation unit 30 can obtain the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 at the corresponding position in this pattern by the thickness measuring device 20 . Here, since it can be assumed that the back surface of the conveyor belt X1 is flat with little wear, the wear amount calculation unit 30 corrects the amount of unevenness in the width direction from the belt thickness at a specific point. The belt thickness in the width direction of the belt X1 can be calculated.

The wear amount measuring system 2 can directly determine the wear of the conveyor belt X1 from the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 in the width direction. Therefore, even if the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 is uniformly worn and the surface is not uneven, the wear can be detected.

<Advantages>
The wear amount measuring system 2 measures the belt thickness at one point in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 by the thickness measuring device 20 . Therefore, when the conveyor belt X1 wears uniformly in the width direction, the wear amount measuring system 2 can detect the wear from the measurement result of the thickness measuring device 20 . Further, since the wear amount measuring system 2 includes the surface shape monitoring device 1 of the present invention, it is possible to detect unevenness in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. Therefore, when the conveyor belt X1 is partially worn in the width direction, the wear amount measurement system 2 can detect the wear from unevenness in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. Thus, the wear amount measuring system 2 can detect the wear of the conveyor belt X1 regardless of the wear pattern. Further, since the wear amount measuring system 2 includes the surface profile monitoring device 1 of the present invention, the surface condition can be checked without stopping the conveyor belt X1 when wear of the conveyor belt X1 is observed. Therefore, by using the wear amount measuring system 2, it is possible to reduce the operational loss caused by the erroneous determination of the abnormality of the surface of the conveyor belt X1. Furthermore, the wear amount measuring system 2 can be configured at low cost with a small number of required devices.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment of the wear amount measuring system of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

The wear amount measuring system 3 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 includes a surface shape monitoring device 1 and a belt thickness at one point in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 that can be continuously measured in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt X1. A wear amount calculation unit that calculates the wear amount of the conveyor belt X1 using the thickness measuring device 40, the belt thickness of the conveyor belt X1 measured by the thickness measuring device 40, and the pattern extracted by the surface shape monitoring device 1. 30.

The surface shape monitoring device 1 and the wear amount calculation unit 30 of the wear amount measurement system 3 are the same as the surface shape monitoring device 1 and the wear amount calculation unit 30 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

<Thickness measuring device>
The thickness measuring device 40 of the wear amount measuring system 3 includes a pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 for measuring the optical path length by receiving the reflected light of the irradiated laser beam, and the pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 irradiating. It comprises a pair of mirrors 42 that reflect laser light, and a frame 43 that is self-supporting on the floor G on the side of the conveyor belt X1 and supports the pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 and the pair of mirrors 42 .

The pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 are arranged outside the conveyor belt X1 in plan view, and the laser beam Q1 of one of the reflective displacement gauges 41 is horizontally irradiated to the inner surface of the conveyor belt X1, and the other reflective displacement gauge 41 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction so that the laser beam Q2 is horizontally irradiated to the outer surface side of the conveyor belt X1.

The pair of mirrors 42 are attached to a pair of support rods 43a extending horizontally from a frame 43, respectively. One of the mirrors 42 is arranged so that the reflected light of the laser beam Q1 horizontally applied to the inner surface of the conveyor belt X1 is vertically applied to the inner surface of the thickness measurement position P of the conveyor belt X1. The other mirror 42 is arranged so that the reflected light of the laser beam Q2 horizontally applied to the outer surface of the conveyor belt X1 is applied vertically to the outer surface of the thickness measurement position P of the conveyor belt X1. are placed.

The lower limit of the distance between mirror 42 and conveyor belt X1 is preferably 70 mm, more preferably 150 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the distance between the mirror 42 and the conveyor belt X1 is preferably 2500 mm, more preferably 2000 mm. If the distance between the mirror 42 and the conveyor belt X1 is less than the above lower limit, the edge of the mirror 42 may come into contact with the conveyor belt X1 due to vibration of the conveyor belt X1 or the like. Conversely, if the distance between the mirror 42 and the conveyor belt X1 exceeds the upper limit, it may be difficult to dispose the mirror 42 on the inner surface side of the conveyor belt X1 that is stretched over the pulley X2.

The distance between the mirror 42 used for measuring the outer surface side of the conveyor belt X1 and the conveyor belt X1 may differ from the distance between the mirror 42 used for measuring the inner surface side of the conveyor belt X1 and the conveyor belt X1. , preferably equal to . By equalizing the distances between the two, the time required for the round trip of the laser light is balanced, so that it becomes easy to synchronize the measurement timings.

The measurement position P of the thickness measuring device 40 in the width direction of the conveyor belt X1 can be the same as in the wear amount measuring system 2 of FIGS.

In this thickness measuring device 40, as shown in FIG. 12, the thickness measuring position P of the conveyor belt X1 is measured from a reflective displacement meter 41, which is used for measuring the inner surface of the conveyor belt X1, to the inner surface of the conveyor belt X1 via a mirror 42. The distance (H1+W1) and the distance (H2+W2) from the reflective displacement meter 41 used for measuring the outer surface of the conveyor belt X1 to the outer surface of the thickness measurement position P of the conveyor belt X1 via the mirror 42 are measured. Here, the distance H1 between the reflection type displacement gauge 41 and the mirror 42 used for measuring the inner surface side of the conveyor belt X1, and the distance H1 between the reflection type displacement gauge 41 and the mirror 42 used for measuring the outer surface side of the conveyor belt X1. Since H2 is known, it is possible to calculate the distance W1 between the mirror 42 and the inner side of the thickness measuring position P of the conveyor belt X1 and the distance W2 between the mirror 42 and the outer side of the thickness measuring position P of the conveyor belt X1. be. Furthermore, since the distance D between the pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 is also a base, the thickness T of the conveyor belt X1 can be calculated by the following equation (1).
T=D-(W1+W2) (1)

In the thickness measuring device 40 described above, the case where the reflected light from the mirror 42 is applied to the thickness measuring position P of the conveyor belt X1 from the vertical direction has been described, but this reflected light has a known angle. Even if it is irradiated, the thickness T of the conveyor belt X1 can be similarly obtained by calculating the length in the vertical direction. However, the reflected light is preferably applied to the thickness measurement position P from the vertical direction. The reflection-type displacement meter 41 measures the optical path length by detecting the reflected light at the thickness measurement position P at the laser irradiation position. By irradiating the thickness measurement position P from the vertical direction in this way, the reflected light from the thickness measurement position P can easily reach the reflective displacement gauge 41, so that the measurement accuracy can be improved. Similarly, the thickness T of the conveyor belt X1 can be obtained even if the laser beam emitted by the reflective displacement gauge 41 is emitted at a certain depression angle, for example. However, from the viewpoint of measurement accuracy, it is preferable to irradiate the laser light from the reflective displacement meter 41 in a horizontal direction.

<Advantages>
In the thickness measuring device 40 of the wear amount measuring system 3, the reflective displacement gauge 41 horizontally irradiates laser light and detects the reflected light at the laser irradiation position. That is, in the wear amount measurement system 3, the laser beam irradiation surface and the sensor surface are provided horizontally, so that it is possible to prevent dust from accumulating on the laser beam irradiation surface and the sensor surface. In addition, since the pair of reflective displacement gauges 41 are arranged outside the conveyor belt X1 in plan view, the maintenance of the thickness measuring device 40 is facilitated. Furthermore, since the thickness measuring device 40 of the wear amount measuring system 3 is configured to be able to stand on the floor surface G on the side of the conveyor belt X1 by the frame 43, the thickness measuring device 40 can be attached to the wear amount measuring system. By taking it out from 3, the mirror 42 can be cleaned easily.

[Third embodiment]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The surface profile monitoring system of the present invention will be described in detail below with appropriate reference to the drawings.

A surface shape monitoring system 4 shown in FIG. 13 includes a conveyor system 5 and a surface shape monitoring device 6 .

[Conveyor system]
The conveyor system 5 has a pair of pulleys 52 and a conveyor belt 51 that is stretched between the pair of pulleys 52 and configured to be able to run.

The pair of pulleys 52 and conveyor belt 51 are the same as the pair of pulleys X2 and conveyor belt X1 in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment. 13 can be configured in the same manner as the conveyor system X of FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment.

[Surface shape monitoring device]
The surface shape monitoring device 6 is a surface shape monitoring device for the conveyor belt 51, and as shown in FIG. A camera 12 that captures the reflected light of a line laser 61 from the surface, a pattern extractor 62 that extracts a specific pattern drawn by the reflected light from the captured image of the camera 12, and a pattern extractor 62 based on the extraction timing. A position specifying mechanism 14 for specifying the position of the extracted pattern on the surface of the conveyor belt 51 , an image acquisition unit 15 for acquiring a surface image of the conveyor belt 51 at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism 14 , and a pattern extraction unit 62 . and a display unit 63 for displaying the pattern extracted by the conveyor belt 51 as a density distribution image based on the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 .

Note that the camera 12, the position specifying mechanism 14, and the image acquisition unit 15 can be configured in the same manner as the surface shape monitoring apparatus 1 of FIG.

<Line laser>
In the surface shape monitoring device 6 , the laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 61 is a position facing the pulley 52 . The laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 61 is more preferably a position facing the upstream pulley 52 of the pair of pulleys 52, and faces the center axis of the pulley 52 in the horizontal direction or above the horizontal direction. A position facing the central axis of the pulley 52 in the horizontal direction is particularly preferred. By setting the laser light irradiation position of the line laser 61 to such a position, the accuracy of measuring the thickness of the conveyor belt 51, which will be described later, is improved. In addition, the “upstream pulley” refers to a pulley located on the starting point side with respect to the direction in which the article Y is conveyed.

The line laser 61 is configured in the same manner as the line laser 11 in FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment except that the laser beam irradiation position is as described above, so other description is omitted.

<Pattern Extractor>
The pattern extraction unit 62 acquires the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt 51 from the captured image data of the camera 12 by the light section method. As described in the first embodiment, this unevenness can be known, for example, as the distance between the camera 12 and the laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 61 (this distance is defined as A). As described above, the laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 61 is a position facing the pulley 52 . The distance between the position of the pulley 52 facing this laser beam irradiation position and the camera 12 is known (the distance is defined as B), and the conveyor belt 51 moves so that the back side comes into contact with this position. It can be seen that the distance (BA) is the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 at the laser beam irradiation position. In this manner, the pattern extraction unit 62 can obtain a pattern representing the unevenness of the surface of the conveyor belt 51 using the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 at the laser beam irradiation position.

The pattern extraction unit 62 is similar to the pattern extraction unit 13 of FIG. , and other descriptions are omitted.

<Display part>
The display unit 63 can be configured by, for example, an arithmetic device and a display device. A known microcontroller or the like can be used as the computing device, and a known liquid crystal display or the like can be used as the display device. In the case of this configuration, the display unit 63 creates grayscale distribution image data by means of a computing device, and displays this image data on the display device. The procedure for creating grayscale distribution image data will be described in detail below.

(Image adjustment)
The display unit 63 may create grayscale distribution image data using only the patterns extracted by the pattern extraction unit 13, but it is preferable to use an image of the conveyor belt 51 captured by the camera 12, which also serves as the image acquisition unit 15, together. When the image of the conveyor belt 51 is also used, the display unit 63 refers to the image of the image acquisition unit 15 .

When the display unit 63 is configured to refer to the image of the image acquisition unit 15 in this manner, the display unit 63 may have an image adjustment function.

For example, the display unit 63 may include an exposure sensor that detects the illuminance at the laser irradiation position of the conveyor belt 51, and may have an adjustment function that adjusts shooting conditions such as the aperture of the camera 12 based on the measured illuminance.

Further, confirmation by the image displayed by the display unit 63 is more effective during the daytime when the illuminance is high, and conversely, position identification by the position identifying mechanism 14 is more effective during the nighttime when the illuminance is low. Therefore, the adjustment function may detect an extreme change in illuminance, such as between day and night, and control whether or not to display the gray scale distribution image. In other words, the adjustment function may control to display the grayscale distribution image when the illuminance is greater than a predetermined value. Day and night may be determined based on the illuminance measured by the exposure sensor, but instead of the exposure sensor, a clock may be provided and managed based on the time.

When the illuminance is high, it may be difficult for the camera 12 to detect the reflected light of the line laser 61 . Therefore, when the illuminance is greater than a predetermined value, the adjustment function may perform control to increase the output of the line laser 61 . Note that the output of the line laser 61 alone may not be sufficiently increased due to safety restrictions or the like. In such a case, it is preferable to provide a plurality of line lasers 61 capable of converging light at one location and adjust the intensity of the reflected light from the line lasers 61 by the number of the line lasers 61 emitting light.

Further, when the illuminance is high and it is difficult for the camera 12 to detect the reflected light of the line laser 61, a transmission filter that selectively transmits the wavelength range of the line laser 61 may be used. Although the camera 12 may detect the reflected light of the line laser 61 through a transmission filter regardless of the illuminance, the gain may decrease when the illuminance is low. For this reason, it is preferable that the adjustment function performs control using a transmission filter when the illuminance is greater than a predetermined value.

(distortion correction)
The pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit 13 may be distorted due to the relative relationship between the pulley 52 facing the laser light irradiation position of the line laser 61 and the installation positions of the line laser 61 and the camera 12 . This distortion is likely to occur when the camera 12 is equipped with a wide-angle lens, a diagonal fish-eye lens, an omnidirectional lens, or the like. On the other hand, these lenses have the advantage that the surface shape of the conveyor belt 51 can be monitored with a small number of cameras.

Since this distortion occurs uniformly, the pattern may be converted into the grayscale distribution image data as it is. This distortion correction function can be realized by an arithmetic device.

First, pattern distortion will be described. FIG. 14 shows a distorted pattern L6. Such a skewed distortion tends to occur when the parallelism of the camera 12 with respect to the pulley 52 is deviated. Also, FIG. 15 shows a pattern L7 in which distortion different from that in FIG. 14 occurs. Such an overall curved distortion is likely to occur when the parallelism of the line laser 61 with respect to the pulley 52 is deviated.

Here, in FIGS. 14 and 15, low portions (L61 in FIG. 14, L71 in FIG. 15) at both ends are patterns indicating pulley portions. The pulley patterns L61 and L71 are reference lines with a thickness of 0 and should be straight lines extending in the horizontal direction. Therefore, by correcting the patterns so that the pulley portion patterns L61 and L71 are horizontal, the distortion can be corrected.

(Grayscale distribution image)
The display unit 63 converts the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 at the laser beam irradiation position extracted by the pattern extraction unit 62 into a grayscale image using the arithmetic unit. Specifically, based on a predetermined value (for example, the initial thickness of the conveyor belt 51), it is preferable to create grayscale data such that when the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 is large, it becomes black, and when the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 is small, it becomes white. . Note that this is just an example, and black and white may be assigned in reverse, or may be color data according to the type of pattern.

Further, when the image of the conveyor belt 51 is also used, the gray scale data is superimposed on the image of the conveyor belt 51 to create the gray scale image data. Since the surface shape monitoring device 6 includes the position specifying mechanism 14 , the position of the pattern extracted by the pattern extracting section 62 on the conveyor belt 51 can be specified. Therefore, the grayscale data can be superimposed on the image of the conveyor belt 51 by easily aligning them.

The grayscale distribution image data created as described above is displayed on the display device. The display device may be arranged in the vicinity of the conveyor system 5, but the display device may be arranged at a remote location and the grayscale distribution image data may be displayed by transferring it by wireless communication or the like. That is, the display unit 63 may include a wireless communication device.

An example of the density distribution image obtained in this manner will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 16, the shade distribution image is originally a grayscale, but the difference in shade is indicated by the difference in the type of hatching. The non-hatched base portion (the white portion in FIG. 16) is the reference gray.

In FIG. 16, the hatching of K1 represents the black portion. A black portion means that the conveyor belt 51 is thick, and K1 occupies a certain area, so it can be seen that the protrusion is adhered.

The hatching of K2, K3 and K4 represents white portions. The white part means that the conveyor belt 51 is thin, and K2, K3, and K4 are streaks, which are damages. Damage K4 is classified as an oblique crack.

Similarly, the hatching of K5 and K6 represents white portions. K5 and K6 occupy a certain area, indicating wear. Based on the length in the conveying direction, the wear K5 is classified as scraping, and the wear K6 is classified as wear.

The hatching of K7 and K8 represents dark gray (lighter than the black of K1 and darker than the gray of the base portion). These K7 and K8 appear periodically and both have the same period. The time obtained by dividing this period by the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 51 (the time required for passing this period) is equal to the time for the pulley 52 to go around once. That is, K7 and K8 show that the conveyor belt 51 appears to be thicker as a result of the conveyor belt 51 being pushed out to the outer peripheral side due to the adhesion of foreign matter to the pulleys. Since the cycle in which K7 and K8 appear and the circumferential length of the pulley 52 roughly match, it may be judged based on the matching, but the cycle in which K7 and K8 appear is longer by the thickness of the conveyor belt 51. In addition, errors are likely to occur due to loss due to slippage between the conveyor belt 51 and the pulleys 52 . Therefore, it is preferable to make a judgment by comparing with the time taken for the pulley 52 to go around once as described above.

Since the pulley 52 is generally rotated by a motor, the time taken by the pulley 52 to go around once can be easily measured from changes in the magnetic force of the motor. The surface shape monitoring system 4 preferably has a cycle detection mechanism for measuring the time taken for one rotation of the pulley 52, and the display unit 63 preferably deletes patterns generated in synchronization with the time measured by this cycle detection mechanism. . By having such a function, the pattern caused by the pulley 52 can be excluded.

The hatching of K9 represents a portion that is black in the central portion in the transport direction and approaches the gray of the base portion as it approaches the boundary of the base portion. K9 crosses the conveyor belt 51 obliquely. This K9 is a joint portion of the conveyor belt 51 .

<Advantages>
The surface profile monitoring system 4 makes the laser beam irradiation position of the line laser 61 a position facing the pulley 52 . Since the position of the conveyor belt 51 is easily fixed by the pulleys 52, even when measuring the surface shape from one side of the conveyor belt 51, the thickness of the conveyor belt 51 at the laser beam irradiation position can be calculated. . This allows the surface profile monitoring system 4 to detect even if the surface is evenly worn. Further, in the surface shape monitoring system 4, the pattern extracted by the pattern extractor 62 is displayed as a grayscale distribution image based on the thickness of the conveyor belt 51. Therefore, the visibility is enhanced, and the state of the surface of the conveyor belt 51 is displayed. It can be made easy to confirm on the image.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modified and improved modes in addition to the above-described modes.

In the above embodiment, the case of using a camera that captures the reflected light of a line laser for image acquisition by the image acquisition unit of the surface profile monitoring device has been described. The configuration to be provided is also intended by the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the case of using a reflective displacement gauge as the position specifying mechanism of the surface shape monitoring device has been described, but other methods may be used to specify the position. For example, the position specifying mechanism includes a position transmitter embedded in a specific position of the conveyor belt and a receiver for detecting a signal from the position transmitter. A position on the surface of the belt may be specified. As such a position transmitter, an RFID tag, a photoelectric sensor, an eddy potential sensor, or the like can be used. In addition, a reflective mark is embedded at a specific position on the conveyor belt so that it is exposed on the surface of the conveyor belt, and the line laser reflected light from this reflective mark is detected based on the difference in brightness and color, thereby specifying the position. you can go

In the above embodiment, the thickness measuring device of the wear amount measuring system measures the belt thickness at one point in the width direction of the conveyor belt, but the thickness may be measured at two or more points. By measuring the belt thickness at a plurality of locations, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy of the belt thickness in the width direction of the conveyor belt. On the other hand, when the number of measurement points is one, the number of thickness measurement apparatuses can be reduced, so the manufacturing cost of the wear amount measurement system can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case of using a pair of reflective displacement gauges as the thickness measuring device of the wear amount measuring system has been described. It is not limited to displacement gauges. For example, it is possible to use a contact-type thickness measuring device that contacts both sides of the conveyor belt and measures the belt thickness from the distance between the contacts.

The surface profile monitor of the present invention can detect various conveyor belt surface anomalies with one inexpensive device. In addition, the surface profile monitoring device of the present invention and the wear amount measurement system using this surface profile monitoring device can reduce operational loss caused by erroneous determination of abnormalities on the conveyor belt surface.

Therefore, the surface shape monitoring device and the wear amount measuring system of the present invention are effective for preventive maintenance of conveyor belts that are continuously operated in ironworks, thermal power plants, mining pits, and the like. Moreover, since the surface shape monitoring device of the present invention can detect various abnormalities, it can be used to detect abnormalities such as wear of the transmission belt, wear of the synchronous tooth portion, meandering, running over, cutting, and the like.

Reference Signs List 1, 6 Surface shape monitoring devices 2, 3 Abrasion measurement system 4 Surface shape monitoring system 5 Conveyor system 11 Line laser 12 Camera 13 Pattern extractor 14 Position specifying mechanism 15 Image acquisition unit 20 Thickness measuring device 21 Reflective displacement gauge 30 Wear amount calculator 40 Thickness measuring device 41 Reflective displacement gauge 42 Mirror 43 Frame 43a Support rod 51 Conveyor belt 52 Pulley 61 Line laser 62 Pattern extraction unit 63 Display unit X Conveyor system X1 Conveyor belt X2 Pulley X3 Support roller X4 Blade type Cleaners Y, Y1, Y2 Conveyed object Z Joints L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7 Patterns L61, L71 Pulley pattern K1 Adhesion of protrusions K2, K3, K4 Damage K5, K6 Wear K7, K8 Adhesion of foreign matter to pulleys K9 Joint part P Measurement position Q1, Q2 Laser light

Claims (6)

Conveyor belt surface profile monitoring apparatus included in a conveyor system with a pair of pulleys for conveying goods, comprising:
A line laser that irradiates a laser at a wide angle in the width direction of the surface of the conveyor belt;
a camera for capturing reflected light of the line laser from the surface of the conveyor belt;
a pattern extraction unit for extracting a specific pattern drawn by the reflected light from the image captured by the camera;
a position specifying mechanism for specifying a position on the surface of the conveyor belt of the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit based on the extraction timing;
an image acquisition unit that acquires a surface image of the conveyor belt at the position specified by the position specifying mechanism ,
The laser beam irradiation position of the line laser is a position facing the upstream pulley in the horizontal direction or above the central axis of the upstream pulley in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt,
the angle formed by the central axis of the image capturing direction of the camera and the central axis of the irradiation direction of the line laser is 20 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less;
The surface profile monitoring device, wherein the position specifying mechanism is arranged upstream of the image acquisition section in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt . 2. The surface shape monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said camera is used for image acquisition by said image acquisition unit. 3. The surface shape monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the wavelength of the laser light of said line laser is 500 nm or more and 800 nm or less. A surface shape monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
a thickness measuring device capable of continuously measuring at least one belt thickness in the width direction of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt;
and a wear amount calculation unit that calculates the wear amount of the conveyor belt using the belt thickness of the conveyor belt measured by the thickness measuring device and the pattern extracted by the surface shape monitoring device. system. the conveyor system having a blade-type cleaner;
The thickness measuring device comprises a pair of reflective displacement gauges,
the reflection-type displacement gauge is disposed downstream of the blade-type cleaner in the conveying direction and within a laser beam irradiation range of the line laser;
5. The wear amount measuring system according to claim 4 , wherein the irradiation axis of the laser beam of the reflection type displacement gauge is within 30[deg.] from the normal line direction of the conveyor belt surface. a conveyor system having a pair of pulleys and a conveyor belt configured to run between the pair of pulleys;
A surface shape monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A surface shape monitoring system, wherein the surface shape monitoring device further comprises a display unit for displaying the pattern extracted by the pattern extraction unit as a gray scale distribution image based on the thickness of the conveyor belt.

Images