JPH04292324A - Inspection device for circular article - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heighten the degree of accuracy of inspection and increase inspection efficiency by using the main part of a carrier, which carries circular articles, in common to articles having various dimensions. CONSTITUTION:This carrier is made up of a ring assembly 90, comprising a slot ring 30, a base ring 40, and an intermediate ring 50, and a rotation driving mechanism which rotates this ring assembly 90. The slot ring 30 and the base ring 40 are connected to each other in such a manner that the distance between the two can be adjusted. A slot-forming-groove-part 33 is provided to the slot ring 30 and a slot is formed with a region surrounded by this slot-forming- groove-part 33 and the inner surface of the intermediate ring 50, and the article is put in this slot for carriage.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection device for inspecting circular articles such as tablets and capsule-shaped parts.

0002

[Background Art] As used herein, the term "circular article" refers to an article having a circular cross section, such as a tablet, whose outer periphery has a circular outline, and the thickness of the circular outline in the central axis direction. In addition to circular flat articles whose dimensions are smaller than the diameter of the outer periphery, the term also includes circular oblong articles whose dimensions in the axial direction are larger than the diameter of the outer periphery, such as capsule-shaped parts.

[0003] Regarding a circular flat article, "horizontal orientation" means a posture in which the central axis of its circular outline is directed upward and downward, and "vertical orientation" regarding a circular flat article means that the central axis of its circular outline is oriented in the vertical direction. means lateral orientation.

[0004] On various manufacturing lines, the presence or absence of defects such as cracks, chips, or scratches on the products can be detected by capturing images of the products being transported using an imaging device using an image sensor or the like as an imaging element and processing the images. An inspection is being carried out. When performing such a product inspection, it is necessary to perform the inspection so as to cover the entire outer surface of the product.

[0005] Therefore, when inspecting a circular flat article such as a tablet, the circular flat article is inspected from the front and back sides with the circular flat article oriented horizontally, and then the circular flat article is inspected vertically. It is also necessary to inspect the outer periphery while rotating it.

Furthermore, when inspecting a capsule-shaped circular article, it is necessary to rotate the article around its central axis and inspect its entire outer surface.

Conventionally, apparatuses shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 have been proposed as apparatuses for inspecting circular flat articles. In these figures, 1 is a belt conveyor that conveys the circular flat article 2 in a horizontal orientation, 3 is a conveyance device that conveys the circular flat article 2 in a vertical orientation, 4 is an imaging device using an image sensor as an imaging element, and 5 is an attitude changing device that converts the attitude of a circular flat article 2, which has been conveyed in a horizontal attitude by a belt conveyor 1, to a vertical attitude and supplies it to a conveying device 3.

The conveying device 3 is a caterpillar-type endless conveying device, and includes wheels 6 and 7 that are arranged parallel to each other and at least one of which is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown).
and belts 8, 8 stretched between the wheels 6, 7 at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and belts 8, 8.
A large number of rectangular carriers 9, 9, .
Each carrier is attached to belts 8, 8 by pins 10 at both ends thereof.

[0009] Each carrier 9 is provided with a plurality of slots 9a (four in the illustrated example), which are U-shaped notches that open rearward in the transport direction. slot 9a
is for receiving a flat circular article (hereinafter simply referred to as an article) 2 as an article to be inspected and holding the article vertically, and is provided so as to penetrate through the carrier 9 in the thickness direction. ing.

Between the upper horizontal parts of the belts 8, 8,
Pulleys 11 and 12, at least one of which is driven by a drive source (not shown), and a rotational drive belt 13 that is driven by the pulleys 11 and 12 are arranged. This rotary drive belt 13 has an upper portion 13a that is connected to the carriers 9 and 9.
,... is provided so as to extend horizontally below the
In the illustrated example, the upper part 13a of this belt is the carrier 9,
9,... are driven to move in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction. Fixed bottom plates 14 and 15 are arranged horizontally at the front and rear of the belt 13, respectively. Belt 13 and bottom plate 1
4 and 15 are provided so that their respective upper surfaces are located on substantially the same plane, and the bottom plates 14 and 15 receive the inspected article 2 inserted into each slot 9a of the carrier 9, and are rotatably driven. The belt 13 is caused to travel in the conveyance direction of the article 2 faster than the conveyance speed, or the belt 13 is
By running in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the article 2,
The articles 2 in each slot are rotated during transportation. The belt 13 and pulleys 11 and 12 constitute an article rotation device 16 that rotates a circular flat article.

[0011] The attitude changing device 5 converts the attitude of the circular flat article 2, which has been conveyed in a horizontal orientation by the belt conveyor 1, to a vertical orientation, and supplies the circular flat article 2 into the slot of each carrier.

This attitude changing device 5 has a predetermined number (5 in the illustrated example) of diagonally arranged guide members 17 arranged in parallel, and their ends are connected by metal fittings 18, 18, so that the guide members 17 can be connected to each other. Slots 9a, 9a of carrier 9
, . . . corresponding to the guide grooves 19, 19, . A conveyor belt 24 driven by at least one of pulleys 21 and 22 and applied with a predetermined tension by a tension roller 23 is disposed below the guide member 17 . Further, a vibration applying device 25 is attached to this attitude changing device to apply vibration to the device.

[0013] The circular flat article 2 conveyed by the belt conveyor 1 passes through the screen plates 20, 20,
It is dropped between... The circular flat article 2 dropped between the screen plates is changed in attitude by hitting the guide member 17, and is inserted into the guide groove 19 in a vertical state with the help of the vibration given by the vibration applying device 25. The article 2 inserted vertically into the guide groove 19 is conveyed by the conveyor belt 24 and descends toward the corresponding slot of the carrier 9 of the conveyor device 3 . A guide plate is attached to the lower end of the guide groove 19 to direct the article 2 downward.
The article 2 that has descended within the guide groove 19 is turned downward by this guide plate and inserted into the corresponding slot 9a.

The circular flat articles 2 supplied to the conveying device 3 are held in the slots 9a of each carrier 9 and conveyed to the right in FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in Figure 11,
Each article is rotationally driven by a belt 13, and each rotating article 2 has an image pickup device 4 with an image sensor as an image pickup element.
The image is taken from outside. The image signal obtained from the imaging device 4 is compared with an image signal obtained by previously imaging a normal article in the same manner, and the presence or absence of a defect is determined. The article 2 that has been inspected is transferred from the conveyance device 3 to the next conveyance device, and defective products are removed at this time.

Although not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, on the left side of the belt conveyor 1, there is another inspection in which images are taken from the front side and the back side of the circular flat article 2 when it is placed sideways. A device is placed therein, and only those articles that are determined by this inspection device to be normal in the parts visible from the front side and the back side are supplied to the entrance of the posture changing device 5 by the belt conveyor 1.

[0016]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In the above device,
When the thickness of an article changes, the width of the slot must be changed, but in the past, when inspecting a wide variety of articles, the carrier had to be replaced each time the thickness of the article changed, making replacement work cumbersome. Moreover, it was uneconomical because it required a large number of replacement parts to be prepared.

In the above inspection apparatus, as shown in FIG. 13(A), each slot 9a of the carrier has a narrow width.
If the circular flat article 2 is held in the correct posture within the slot, the article 2 will rotate correctly, and the image obtained by scanning the article with an image sensor in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction will be as shown in FIG. 13(B). It has a rectangular shape as indicated by 2'. In this case, since an image of each inspected article viewed from the outer circumferential side can be correctly captured, inspection can be performed accurately.

On the other hand, when the slot 9a provided in the carrier 9 is made wider, the article 2 tilts or dances during rotation, as shown in FIGS. The image 2' obtained by 4 is distorted as shown in FIG. 14(D). In this case, since the image distortion is not constant for each article, accurate inspection cannot be performed.

[0019] Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of the test,
It is necessary to set the width of the slot 9a provided in the carrier 9 to the minimum necessary size (as narrow as possible without damaging the rotating circular flat article). However, if the width of the slot 9a is made narrower, the following problem arises.

When the width of the slot provided in the carrier 9 is set narrow, as shown in FIGS. When correctly centered in the slot 9a, the part 2 can be quickly inserted into the slot 9a. However, as shown in FIG. 12(C), if the center O of the article 2 descending in the guide groove 19 deviates from the center O' of the slot 9a, when the article 2 fits into the slot 9a, the slot 9a Since the object hits the corner of the slot, the speed at which the object is inserted into the slot is slowed down.

When the center of the article descending in the guide groove 19 and the center of the slot 9a coincide, the article 2 can be inserted into the slot at a constant speed, so that the article supply speed is reduced. It is easy to match the moving speed of the carrier 9 with the downward speed of the article near the lower end of the guide groove 19. When the supply speed of the articles and the moving speed of the carriers are matched, the articles 9 are correctly inserted into the slots of each carrier.

On the other hand, if the insertion speed of the article into the slot 9a is slower than the article supply speed, the guide groove 1
The article 2 may become jammed at the lower end of the container 9, and once the article is jammed, it becomes impossible to supply the article from now on. When such a situation occurs, it is necessary to stop the line and clear the clogging of articles, which significantly reduces processing efficiency. Furthermore, if conveyance is continued in a state where the articles are jammed, the corner of the following carrier 9 will hit the article 2 whose insertion into the slot has been delayed, causing the article 2 to break.

[0023] In this way, in an apparatus that inserts a circular flat article vertically into a slot of a carrier and inspects the article while rotating it within the slot, the carrier is When the width of the provided slot is narrowed, it becomes difficult to insert an article into the slot, causing problems such as damage to the article or interruption of inspection, resulting in a reduction in processing efficiency. In addition, if the width of the slot is set wide in order to smoothly insert the article into the slot of the carrier, the article will tilt or dance when rotated, making it impossible to perform accurate inspection. There was a problem.

Furthermore, when the slot is horizontal, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), the article inserted into the slot moves back and forth within the slot, resulting in poor stability. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15(B), methods such as blowing air from the nozzle 27 onto the article are used. Therefore, it was necessary to stabilize the article, which was troublesome.

Furthermore, when using a conveyance device that uses a belt to move the carrier, the belt stretches over time, so a mechanism for offsetting the stretching of the belt, such as a mechanism for adjusting the tension of the belt, is required. Therefore, there was a problem that the structure of the device became complicated. Although it is possible to use a chain instead of a belt, the same problem arises because chains also stretch over time.

It is also possible to inspect capsule-shaped circular articles by changing the shape of the slot of the carrier in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, but the same problems as above arise in this case as well.

An object of the present invention is to be able to handle circular articles of various sizes, increase the stability of the articles within the slot, and simplify the structure of the conveying device. An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device for circular articles that enables inspection of circular articles.

Another object of the present invention is to allow articles to be smoothly fed into the slot, and to prevent the articles from tilting in the slot in the area to be inspected. An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device for circular articles, which rotates a circular article in a substantially constant posture and improves processing efficiency and inspection accuracy.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a circular article inspection device that has a simple structure and can improve work efficiency.

[0030]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a conveyance device that is provided with a large number of slots lined up in the conveyance direction and that receives and conveys circular articles in the slots, and a conveyance device that receives and conveys circular articles in the slots of the conveyance device. A circular article inspection apparatus for inspecting a rotating circular article by capturing an image of the rotating circular article from the outside, comprising an article supplying device and an article rotation device for rotating a circular article being conveyed by a conveying device in a slot. It is related.

[0031] In the present invention, the above-mentioned conveying device is provided with a slot ring having a plurality of grooves for forming slots lined up in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery and arranged with the central axis oriented in the horizontal direction. , a ring assembly in which the slot ring and the base ring are coupled together in a manner that allows adjustment of the spacing between them, and a ring assembly drive device that rotates the ring assembly around a central axis.

Each slot forming groove is provided with openings on the base ring side and both sides in the radial direction, and each slot is defined by an area surrounded by the axial end face of the base ring and the inner surface of each slot forming groove. Form.

[0033] The article rotating device includes a belt arranged to support the article in the slot from below in the upper part of the inner space of the ring assembly, and a mechanism for running the belt along the circumferential direction of the slot ring. Support plates for supporting the article in the slot are arranged before and after the belt of the article rotating device.

The present invention also allows for an intermediate ring to be disposed between the slot ring and the base ring of the ring assembly. In this case, each slot is formed by a region surrounded by the axial end face of the intermediate ring and the inner surface of each slot forming groove.

[0035] When the intermediate ring is provided as described above, the intermediate ring is formed of a flexible material, and the intermediate ring is located at a position away from the slot ring at the position where the article is fed into the slot; By providing an intermediate ring guide mechanism that guides the intermediate ring closer to the slot ring in the area where the article rotation device is provided, the slot width is expanded at the position where the article is fed into the slot, and the article rotation device The slot width can be adjusted to narrow the slot width in the area where the slot is provided.

[0036] The above-mentioned throttle ring and base ring are as follows:
They can be connected by screw connections. In this case,
A male threaded portion is provided protruding toward the base ring from a position closer to the inside in the radial direction than the outer peripheral surface of the slot ring, and a female threaded portion is provided on the inner periphery of the base ring, and the female threaded portion is connected to the male thread of the slot ring. join to the part. Each slot forming groove is provided so as to radially penetrate through the male threaded portion.

[0037] With this configuration, the spacing between the throttle ring and the base ring can be adjusted by rotating the two rings relative to each other.

The connection structure between the slot ring and the base ring is not limited to the above-mentioned screw connection structure. For example, a structure in which both rings are connected with a bolt through which a spacing adjustment ring is interposed between the two rings may be used. You can take it.

The article rotation device is similar to that used in the previously proposed inspection device, that is, a rotary drive belt placed to support the article in the slot is conveyed in the article conveyance direction. It is possible to use a belt that runs faster than the conveyance speed of the article, or a rotary drive belt that runs in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction of the article.

[0040]

[Operation] In the above inspection device, a circular article is inserted into the slot of the conveying device, and the circular article is conveyed as the ring assembly rotates. When the article in the slot is conveyed to near the top of the conveyor, the article is rotated by the article rotation device. This rotating article is imaged from the outside by an imaging device, and the article is inspected.

In the above device, the width of each slot can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the throttle ring and the base ring. Therefore, even if the thickness of the article changes, the same ring assembly can be used, which is economical.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, when a conveying device is constructed using a ring assembly, it is necessary to provide a complicated mechanism to absorb dimensional changes due to aging, unlike when using a conveying device using a belt or chain. Therefore, the configuration of the device can be simplified.

[0043] When a slot is provided in a ring-shaped member as described above, the contact area between the article and the inner surface of the slot hardly changes during transportation, and the slot closes near the end of the delivery side of the transportation device. Since the area of contact between the article and the inner surface of the slot does not change even when the article changes direction from a horizontal state to a vertical state, the stability of the article can be increased.

[0044] Furthermore, a flexible intermediate ring is provided,
By changing the position of the intermediate ring, the width of the slot can be changed, so that when an article is fed into the slot, the width of the slot is widened and the article can be smoothly inserted into the slot. You can make it happen. Additionally, when rotating an item, the width of the slot can be narrowed to the minimum necessary width, which prevents the item from tilting or dancing within the slot, increasing inspection accuracy. .

[0045]

Embodiment FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of the main parts of a conveying device used in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. B) is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1. In the figure, 30 is a throttle ring, 40 is a base ring that is arranged to share an axis with the throttle ring, and 50 is a base ring that is arranged to share an axis with the throttle ring and the base ring, and is arranged between both rings. Intermediate rings 60 and 70 are side plates and rotating rings arranged at one end and the other end in the axial direction of the conveyance device, respectively, and 80 is a drive shaft.

The slot ring 30 integrally includes a ring-shaped portion 31 and a male threaded portion 32 that protrudes toward the base ring 40 from a position closer to the inside in the radial direction than the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped portion. A slot forming groove 33 having an opening is provided on the base ring 40 side as well, passing through the shaped portion 31 and the male screw portion in the radial direction. A large number of slot forming grooves are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the ring.

[0047] Each slot forming groove 33 has a male threaded part 3
2, so the male threaded portion 32
is divided into a large number of dividing portions 32A, 32A, . . . by the groove portion 33.

In order to pass through bolts to be described later, axial through holes 34, 3 are formed at positions avoiding the slot forming grooves 33.
5 are provided alternately.

The base ring 40 has an outer diameter approximately equal to that of the slot ring, and has a female threaded portion 41 on its inner periphery that engages with the male threaded portion 32. This base ring also has through holes 3 every other slot ring.
Threaded hole 42 for screwing the through bolt inserted into 4
and holes 43 for passing through bolts inserted into every other through hole 35 of the throttle ring.

The intermediate ring 50 is made of a flexible material, and has a circumferentially continuous groove 51 on its outer periphery.
is provided. Moreover, on the inner circumference of the intermediate ring 50,
Recesses 52, 52 shaped to fit the divided portion 32A of the male threaded portion 32 of the slot ring 30 and allow the through bolt to pass therethrough.
,... are provided. This intermediate ring 50 is placed in a state in which the divided portion 32A of the male threaded portion 32 of the slot ring is fitted into the recessed portion 52 on the inner peripheral side thereof.

[0051] The side plate 60 is formed into a disc shape, and one end of a drive shaft 80 is fixed to the center thereof by a holder 61. Further, holes 62 and 63 for passing through bolts are provided alternately at equal intervals in a portion near the outer periphery of the side plate 60. The holes 62 are aligned with every other through hole 34 of the throttle ring 30, and the holes 63 are aligned with every other through hole 35 of the throttle ring 30.

The drive shaft 80 is supported by a bearing 81 fixed to a frame (not shown), and is connected to a rotational drive source (not shown).

The rotating ring 70 is formed to have approximately the same outer diameter as the base ring, and the rotating ring is provided with a threaded hole 71 that can be aligned with the hole 43 of the base ring. The rotating ring 70 is arranged coaxially with other rings and is rotatably supported by three rollers 72 attached to a frame (not shown).

The holes 62 in the side plate 60, the through holes 34 in every other slot ring 30, and the recesses 5 in every other middle ring
A through bolt is provided through 2, and the through bolt is screwed into the screw hole 42 of the base ring 40 to fasten the side plate 60, the slot ring 30, and the base ring 40. Also, the hole 63 of the side plate 60 and the other one of the throttle ring
Alternate through holes 35 and alternate recesses 52 in the intermediate ring
A through bolt provided through the hole 43 of the base ring is screwed into the screw hole 71 of the rotating ring 70, and the side plate 60, the slot ring 30, the base ring 40, and the rotating ring 70 are fastened by the through bolt. . By removing the through bolts that fasten the rotating ring 70 and the holder 61, the assembly of the side plate 60, slot ring 30, intermediate ring 50, and base ring 40 can be moved to the side plate side (
In the example of FIG. 1, it can be pulled out on the left side).

[0055] The side plate 60, the throttle ring 30,
Intermediate ring 50, base ring 40, and rotating ring 7
0 constitutes a ring assembly 90. In this ring assembly, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the area surrounded by the inner surface of each slot forming groove 33 of the slot ring 30 and the end surface 54 on the slot ring side of the intermediate ring 50 is circular. A slot S for receiving a flat article 2 is formed. The width of this slot S can be adjusted by displacing the intermediate ring 50 in the axial direction. The distance between the slot ring 30 and the base ring 40 is set to a size that allows the intermediate ring 50 to be slightly displaced in the axial direction. Throttle ring 30
The distance between the slot ring 30 and the base ring 40 can be finely adjusted by relatively rotating the throttle ring 30 and the base ring 40 with the through bolts removed. Note that the relative rotation between the throttle ring 30 and the base ring must be performed by an angle corresponding to the arrangement pitch of the through bolts, but by increasing the number of through bolts sufficiently, the throttling The distance between 30 and base ring 40 can be adjusted sufficiently finely.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the throttle ring 30 can be adjusted by providing a reference mark M1 on the base ring 40 and a scale M2 corresponding to the pitch of the through bolts on the throttle ring 30.
The distance between the base ring 40 and the base ring 40 can be easily and finely adjusted. Of course, the reference marks and scales can also be arranged in reverse.

In this conveyance device, a drive shaft 80 is arranged to extend horizontally, and the ring assembly 90 is rotationally driven in one direction by the drive shaft 80. In this embodiment, the ring assembly is driven clockwise in FIG. 3, and the article supply position P is set at a position opposite to the conveyance direction with respect to the top of the conveyance device. ing. Further, a rotation area Q is set near the top of the conveyance device, and an article rotation device 100 for rotating the article in the rotation area Q is arranged at the top of the space inside the ring assembly 90.

The article rotating device 100 includes pulleys 101 and 102, at least one of which is rotationally driven, and an endless rotational drive belt 103 that is stretched around these pulleys.
and an arcuate guide plate 104 that guides the upper part of the belt 103 along the inner circumference of the throttle ring 30.
Tension roller 105 that adjusts belt tension
The upper part of the belt 103 is arranged close to the inner peripheral surface of the slot ring 30 to support the article 2 in the slot S. Also, the article rotation device 100
Support plates 106 and 107 are arranged before and after the slot S, and the article 2 in the slot S is supported by these support plates.

The belt 103 is driven so that its upper portion runs in the article conveyance direction at a speed higher than the conveyance speed, or is driven so that it runs in the opposite direction to the article conveyance direction. In the illustrated example, the upper part of the belt 103 is driven to run in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the article at a speed sufficiently higher than the conveyance speed, so that the article 2 in the slot S is moved counterclockwise in FIG. The rotation of is given.

[0060] At the article supply position P, there is an article supply device 110.
is arranged, and this article supply device supplies a circular flat article 2
is inserted into the slot S in a vertical orientation.

In the vicinity of the article supply position P, the slot width W is made wide to some extent in order to smoothly insert the article 2 into the slot S, and in the article rotation area Q, the article tilts or dances within the slot. To avoid this, it is preferable to reduce the slot width W to the minimum necessary width. In this embodiment, at the article supply position P, the intermediate ring 50 is separated from the slot ring 30 to widen the slot width W.
In the rotation region Q, the intermediate ring 5 is moved closer to the slot ring 30 to narrow the slot width W.
A guide mechanism is provided to guide 0.

This guide mechanism includes a first guide roller 111 that is disposed slightly rearward in the conveyance direction than the article supply position P and fitted into the groove 51 of the intermediate ring 50, and second and third guide rollers 112 respectively disposed in and fitted into the grooves 51 of the intermediate ring 50;
and 113. These guide rollers 11
1 to 113 are support fittings 1 fixed to the frame F
14 to 116, the first guide roller 11
1 is arranged at a position a predetermined distance away from the throttle ring 30 in the axial direction so as to expand the width of the slot S within a range that does not interfere with maintaining the vertical posture of the article 2. There is. Also, the second and second guide rollers 11
2 and 113 are arranged close to the throttle ring 30 so as to reduce the width W of the slot S to the minimum necessary size.

[0063] The rotation area Q is also an inspection area, and an imaging device consisting of an image sensor or the like is arranged above the area. The imaging device images the article 2 rotating in the slot at a position opposite to the transport direction with respect to the top of the ring assembly, for example at the position of arrow Y in FIG.

In the embodiment described above, when drive shaft 80 is rotationally driven, ring assembly 90 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3. As a result, a series of slots S lined up on the outer periphery of the throttle ring 30 move in the circumferential direction. When each slot S reaches the article supply position P, the article supply device 1
A circular flat article 2 is inserted into the slot S from 10 in a vertical position. As shown in FIG. 5, at the article supply position, the guide roller 111 moves the intermediate ring 50 to the slot ring 3.
Since the width W of the slot is expanded by pulling it away from 0,
Insertion of the article into the slot is smooth.

At the article feeding position, the article inserted into the slot is supported by the support plate 106 while the ring assembly 9
0 is conveyed to the rotation area Q. When the article 2 reaches the rotation area Q, it is transferred onto the belt of the article rotation device 100, and therefore is driven and rotated by the belt. In the rotating region, the intermediate ring 50 is rotated by the slot ring 3 by the second and third guide rollers 112 and 113.
Since it is displaced to the 0 side and the slot width W is narrowed,
The article rotates in a stable position without tilting or dancing. The rotating article 2 is imaged by an imaging device from the direction of arrow Y in FIG. The image information obtained by the imaging device is compared with standard image information obtained by imaging a normal article in advance, and thereby the article is inspected for abnormality.

In particular, as in the above embodiment, the slot S is formed at a position opposite to the conveying direction with respect to the top of the ring assembly.
When an image is taken of the article inside, the lower part of the slot S is inclined at the imaging position, and the article 2 rotates stably while contacting the end of the slot S in the direction opposite to the transport direction. , stable image information can be obtained.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the case where an article is imaged at a position where the slot is inclined as described above, but it is also possible to image an article in a slot at a position corresponding to the top of the ring assembly 90. You can also do this.

The article that has passed through the rotating area is supported by the support plate 107 and continues to be conveyed. The slot that has passed through the rotation area changes its direction as the ring assembly rotates, and the article 2 in the slot rolls out at the unloading position set diagonally at the lower right of FIG. 3, leading to the next article. It is carried out onto a conveyor (not shown) that sends it to the process.

As a result of the inspection, multiple articles determined to be abnormal are removed from the line by a removal device provided at the carry-out position.

In the above embodiment, only one row of slots S is configured, but by using the transport device shown in the above embodiment as one transport block and arranging a plurality of transport blocks, the row shown in FIG. Similar to the conveyance device in the previously proposed inspection device shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, a plurality of rows of slots S can be configured.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which four transport blocks are arranged to form four rows of slots. In the same figure, 120 is a frame, and a bearing 8 is attached to this frame.
A drive shaft 80 is supported via 1, and a side plate 60 is attached to the tip of the drive shaft via a holder 61. A roller 72 is attached to a shaft 73 fixed to the frame 120, and the rotating ring 70 is supported via the roller 72.

The first base ring 4 is attached to the rotating ring 70.
0A is fixed, and the male threaded portion 32 of the first slot ring 30A is attached to the female threaded portion 41A of the first base ring 40A.
A is fitted. Second throttle ring 30B
The cylindrical portion 36B provided in the first throttle ring 30
A pin 37B that is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of A and fixed to the second slot ring 30B is slidably fitted into a hole 38A provided in the first slot ring 30A.

40' is a base ring provided in common to the second slot ring 30B and the third slot ring 30C, and a female thread 41' provided on the inner circumference of this base ring has a second Male threaded portion 32B of throttle ring 30B and male threaded portion 3 of third throttle ring 30C
2C are fitted together. Third throttling 3
A fourth slot ring 30D is fitted into the inner periphery of a cylindrical portion 36C provided at the end of 0C, and a pin 37D fixed to the fourth slot ring 30D is inserted into a hole provided in the third slot ring 30C. 38C so that it can slide freely. A fourth base ring 40D is fixed to the side plate 60, and a male threaded portion 32D of the fourth slot ring 30D is fitted into a female threaded portion 41D on the inner circumference of the fourth base ring.

First to fourth intermediate rings 50A to 50 are attached to the male threaded portions 32A to 32B of the first to fourth throttle rings 30A to 30D, respectively.
D is fitted so as to be freely displaceable in the axial direction. The first to fourth throttle rings each have a slot forming groove, similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5, and these throttle rings 30A to 30D
The slot S is formed by the area surrounded by the inner surface of the slot forming groove and the intermediate rings 50A to 50D.
A to SD are formed.

The belt 103 of the article rotating device 100 is provided in common to the four slots SA to SD, and is connected to the slot rings 30A to 3 by a guide plate 104.
It is guided along the inner circumference of 0D. belt 10
A rotating shaft 101a of a pulley 101 that drives the pulley 3 is supported by frames 122 and 123 via bearings.

Although not shown, a guide mechanism including guide rings 111 to 113 similar to that shown in FIG. 5 is provided for each intermediate ring in order to adjust the width of each slot.

[0077] The slot rings 30A to 30D and the base rings 40A, 40', 40D are connected by through bolts as in the previous embodiment. For safety, safety covers 124 and 125 cover the vicinity of both ends of the transport device.
is provided.

In the above embodiment, pins 37B, 37
A plurality of holes 38A and 38C into which these pins are fitted are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction, and by fitting these pins and holes, the slot ring 3
Only relative displacements in the axial direction are allowed between 0A and 30B and between 30C and 30D. In the above embodiment, the slot S
When adjusting the widths of A and SB, the throttle rings 30A and 30B are rotated relative to the base rings 40A and 40'. At this time, the distance between the throttle ring 30A, the base ring 40A and Noma, and the throttle ring 30
The relationship between the male threaded portion 32A of the throttle ring 30A and the male threaded portion 32B of the throttle ring 30B is a reverse threaded relationship so that the distance between B and the base ring 40' changes in the same direction (decreasing direction or increasing direction). It is set as. In addition, in order to prevent the distance between the base rings 40A and 40' from changing even when the slot rings 30A and 30B are rotated to adjust the distance between each and the base rings 40A and 40', the slot ring 30a
Displacement in the axial direction is allowed between and 30B. That is, when adjusting the distance between the throttle rings 30A and 30B and the base rings 40A and 40', by changing the distance between the throttle rings 30A and 30B, the distance between the base rings 40A and 40' is adjusted. I try not to change the distance between.

Similarly, the male threaded portion 32C of the throttle ring 30C and the male threaded portion 32D of the throttle ring 30D are in a reverse threaded relationship, and the base rings 40' and 4
The distance between the throttle ring 30C and the base ring 40' and the distance between the throttle ring 30D and the base ring 40D can be adjusted without changing the distance between the throttle ring 30C and the base ring 40D.

That is, in the above embodiment, the throttle rings 30A to 30D and the base rings 40A, 40',
By removing the through bolts connecting the base rings 40D and rotating the slot rings 30A, 30B and 30C, 30D, the width of each slot can be changed to the width of the article without changing the distance between the base rings 40A and 40D. Adjustments can be made to match the thickness of the

In the above embodiment, the slot ring 30 and the base ring 40 are screwed together, but as shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), both rings may have a fitting structure, and the distance between both rings may be adjusted by inserting a spacer 130 between both rings.

Further, in the above embodiment, the intermediate ring 50 is displaceable in the axial direction, and by displacing this intermediate ring, the slot width can be adjusted. As shown, the intermediate ring 50 may be secured to the base ring 40 when the ring assembly is fastened with a through bolt.

In the above embodiment, a groove 51 is provided on the outer periphery of the intermediate ring 50, and the guide rings 111 to 111 are inserted into the groove.
113, the intermediate ring 50 is guided, but the means for guiding the intermediate ring 50 is not limited to the above embodiment; for example, the means for guiding the intermediate ring 50 is in contact with both end surfaces of the intermediate ring 50 in the axial direction A pair of rollers may be provided, and the intermediate ring 50 may be guided while being sandwiched between the pair of rollers. Further, as a member for guiding the intermediate ring 50, a member other than rollers, for example, a sliding member may be used.

Although the intermediate ring is provided in the above embodiment, the intermediate ring is omitted and the slot is formed by the area surrounded by the inner surface of the slot forming groove of the slot ring 30 and the end surface of the base ring 40 on the slot side. may be formed.

Although the present invention is most suitable as an inspection apparatus for circular flat articles, it can also be applied to an inspection apparatus for circular oblong articles such as so-called capsule-shaped articles.

[0086]

As described above, according to the present invention, the width of each slot can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the slot ring and the base ring, so the thickness of the article can be changed. There is an advantage that the same ring assembly can be used even in different cases.

Further, according to the present invention, since the conveying device is constructed from a rigid ring, a complicated mechanism for absorbing dimensional changes due to aging is not required, unlike when using a conveying device using a belt or chain. There is no need to provide one, and there is an advantage that the configuration of the device can be simplified.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the ring-shaped member is provided with the slot, the contact area between the article and the inner surface of the slot can be kept almost constant during the conveyance process, and the article inside the slot can be kept almost constant. can increase the stability of

In particular, according to the invention described in claim 3, by providing a flexible intermediate ring and changing the position of the intermediate ring, the width of the slot is adjusted when an article is fed into the slot. By widening the width of the slot and narrowing the width of the slot to the minimum necessary width when rotating the item, it is possible to smoothly insert the item into the slot, and to prevent the item from being inserted into the slot. This has the advantage of preventing tilting or dancing during rotation, thereby increasing the accuracy of inspection.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the slot ring and the base ring are screwed together, the width of the slot can be easily adjusted to the thickness of the article by rotating both rings relative to each other. Adjustments can be made to match.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the main parts of a conveyance device used in an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1, (B) is Figure 1
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing essential parts of the conveying device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing essential parts of the conveyance device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top view of essential parts of the conveyance device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of a conveyance device used in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are sectional views of main parts showing different modifications of the ring assembly of the conveying device used in the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the main parts of the previously proposed inspection device.

FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a part of the conveyor portion of the conveying device used in the previously proposed inspection device.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a carrier of a conveyance device and an article rotation device used in the previously proposed inspection device.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are explanatory diagrams showing various states when an article is inserted into a slot of a carrier of a conveyance device used in the previously proposed inspection device.

[Fig. 13] (A) is a top view of the main part showing a state where a circular flat article is inserted into a slot of an appropriate width provided in a carrier, and (B) is an image of the article in the state of (A). FIG. 3 is a front view showing an image obtained in this case.

FIGS. 14A to 14C are top views of essential parts showing an example of the movement of an article when the article is rotated in the slot with the width of the carrier slot widened, and FIG. A
FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of an image obtained by the imaging device when the article moves as shown in ) to (C).

FIG. 15(A) is an explanatory diagram showing how an article moves irregularly within a carrier of a conveyance device used in a previously proposed inspection device. (B) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the article in (A) is stabilized by being blown with air from a nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

30,30A~30D... Throttling, 32,32A
~32D...Male thread part, 33...Slot forming groove part, 40
, 40', 40A, 40D...Base ring, 41, 41
', 41A, 41D...Female thread part, 50...Intermediate ring, 6
0... Side plate, 70... Rotating ring, 80... Drive shaft, 90... Ring assembly, S, SA to SD... Slot.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A conveyance device comprising a large number of slots lined up in the conveyance direction and for receiving and conveying circular articles into the slots; an article supplying device for supplying the circular articles into the slots of the conveyance device; In a circular article inspection apparatus that includes an article rotating device that rotates a circular article being conveyed by the conveying device in a slot, and that images and inspects the rotating circular article from the outside, the conveying device is configured to rotate the circular article in a circumferential direction. A slot ring having a large number of slot forming grooves lined up on the outer periphery and arranged with its center axis oriented in the horizontal direction, and a base ring arranged so as to share the center axis with the slot ring. a ring assembly in which the slot ring and the base ring are coupled to each other in a manner that allows adjustment of the spacing therebetween; and a ring assembly drive device that rotates the ring assembly around a central axis. , each of the slot-forming grooves is provided with openings on the base ring side and both sides in the radial direction, and each slot-forming groove is defined by an area surrounded by the axial end face of the base ring and the inner surface of each slot-forming groove. A slot is formed, and the article rotating device includes a belt arranged to support the article in the slot from below in an upper part of the inner space of the ring assembly, and the belt runs along the circumferential direction of the slot ring. A circular article inspection device comprising a mechanism for rotating a circular article, and supporting plates for supporting an article in a slot are arranged before and after a belt of the article rotating device. 2. A conveyance device comprising a large number of slots arranged in a conveyance direction and for receiving and conveying circular articles into the slots; an article supplying device for supplying the circular articles into the slots of the conveyance device; In a circular article inspection apparatus that includes an article rotating device that rotates a circular article being conveyed by the conveying device in a slot, and that images and inspects the rotating circular article from the outside, the conveying device is configured to rotate the circular article in a circumferential direction. A slot ring having a large number of slot forming grooves lined up on the outer periphery and arranged with its center axis oriented in the horizontal direction, and a base ring arranged so as to share the center axis with the slot ring. , a ring assembly including an intermediate ring disposed between the throttle ring and the base ring, and a spacing adjustment mechanism that adjusts the spacing between the throttle ring and the base ring; a ring assembly driving device for rotating around an axis, each of the slot forming grooves being open on the base ring side and both sides in the radial direction, and connecting the axial end face of the intermediate ring and each slot. Each slot is formed by an area surrounded by an inner surface of the forming groove, and the article rotation device includes a belt disposed to support the article in the slot from below in an upper part of the inner space of the ring assembly. A circular article inspection device comprising a mechanism for causing the belt to run along the circumferential direction of a slot ring, and supporting plates for supporting the article in the slot are disposed before and after the belt of the article rotating device. 3. The intermediate ring is made of a flexible material, the intermediate ring is located at a position away from the slot ring at a position where the article is fed into the slot, and the article rotating device is provided. 3. The apparatus for inspecting a circular article according to claim 2, further comprising an intermediate ring guide mechanism that guides the intermediate ring so as to bring the intermediate ring closer to the slot ring in the region. 4. The slot ring has a male threaded portion protruding toward the base ring from a position closer to the inner side in the radial direction than the outer circumferential surface of the slot ring, and each slot forming groove portion also includes a male threaded portion of the slot ring. According to any one of claims 1 to 3, the base ring is provided so as to penetrate in a radial direction, and the base ring has a female threaded portion on the inner periphery, and the female threaded portion is coupled to the male threaded portion of the slot ring. Inspection device for circular articles.