JPH07151635A - Method and apparatus for inspecting pinhole in bag-like product made of thin synthetic resin or rubber film - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decide the quality of a product automatically and objectively with high reliability, by disposing an ultrasonic detector oppositely to the surface being inspected of the product inflated with the air in order to detect ultrasonic wave being generated when a pinhole is present. CONSTITUTION:A rotary table 11 rotatable clockwise while being supported by a rotary shaft 12 is provided with chucks 13-1,...,13-12 and a glove press unit, comprising ultrasonic sensors 14, 15, 16, press plates 17, 18, and air cylinders 19, 20 for controlling them, is disposed along the moving path of the chucks. Gloves to be inspected are fixed to the chucks 13-1,..., 13-12 and carried while being inflated with the air. When a chuck passes between the ultrasonic sensors 14, 15, an ultrasonic wave is generated by the air ejection through a pinhole, if any, in the palm or the back of the glove. Presence of pinhole can be decided surely by detecting the ultrasonic wave through the use of the press unit.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention inspects pinholes in bag-like products made of thin synthetic resin or rubber film or film, such as latex surgical gloves, blood transfusion and infusion packs. A method and apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Products such as latex surgical gloves, blood transfusions, and infusion packs have an unexpected and dangerous effect on the user if pinholes, air bubbles, or other foreign matter are mixed in. It will be. Especially in recent years, as medical technology has advanced, the frequency of use of these products has increased rapidly, and as a result, accidents due to their defects tend to occur more frequently, which requires more rigorous inspection than ever before. ing.

The inspection method currently used in JIS (JIS T9107 1992) is a watertightness test, in which a cylindrical container having a capacity of about 1.2 liters, a diameter of about 6 cm and a length of about 40 cm is filled with about 1 liter of water. , Securely fix the end of the glove to the opening using an O-ring band, invert the container upside down, and hang it with a holder so that it becomes vertical, and after 2 minutes have passed in that state, This is a very primitive method of visually checking for water leaks.

Also, in this JIS, a description about a conductivity test is made as a reference. In this method, one electrode of the non-polar electrode is fixed in the electrolyte solution, the product to be inspected is put in the solution, and the electrolyte is injected into the inside of the non-polar electrode. It is to insert, hold the liquid level inside the product slightly higher than the outside, and measure the electrical resistance 30 seconds after the test sample is immersed in the solution.
This method has a problem that the test requires at least 30 seconds or more and that it takes a long time to wash and dry the product even after the test is completed.

Although not specified in JIS,
A method of injecting air or the like, immersing it in water, observing the generation of bubbles, and detecting leakage is also widely used.
However, all of these methods are difficult to automate,
Therefore, since the inspection requires human labor and depends on the inspector's sense and attention, there are problems that the judgment criteria differ depending on the person and there are many oversights. There is a problem that such a process is required.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to easily automate and to perform inspection without requiring human labor and human sense. It is highly reliable because it can automatically and objectively judge the quality of the product without relying on the inspection, the inspection can be done in an extremely short time, and it is economical because it does not require cleaning and other steps after the inspection. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus capable of inspecting a product of this kind, which is non-contact and is therefore hygienically preferable.

[0007]

The above object of the present invention is to:
This is achieved by providing an ultrasonic detector at a position facing the surface to be inspected of the product inflated with air, detecting the generation of ultrasonic waves generated when a pinhole is present, and detecting the presence of the pinhole. Thus, it is desirable to use an ultrasonic detector equipped with an electrostrictive element capable of detecting ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz, preferably 38 to 42 kHz. Further, it is recommended that these ultrasonic detectors be provided in the jet stream generated when a pinhole is present.

When the product is a rubber glove, it is desirable to provide the ultrasonic detectors on the palm side, the instep side and the direction of the middle finger of the glove, respectively. In order to reliably detect the pinhole between the fingers, when inspecting this portion, it is desirable to press the gloves from the palm side and the instep side, and slightly inspect the fingers.

The frequency of the ultrasonic detector generated by the jet flow from the pinhole is determined by the hardness, elasticity and thickness of the material constituting the product, the size of the pinhole, the composition of the gas supplied inside, and the pressure. It depends on the temperature and temperature, but it is usually 40 unless the product is very special.
It is enough to detect KHz ultrasonic waves.

The gas enclosed in the glove is usually 0.1 to
Compressed air of 0.3 kg / cm ² is used, but helium or the like can be used in special cases.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cross section, FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an example of a glove chuck device used in this device, FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section of the chuck device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a BB cross section of the chuck device shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the chuck device shown in FIG. 5 chucks gloves.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a machine base, 11 is a rotary table, 12 is a rotary shaft of the rotary table 11, and 13-
1, 13-2, ... 13-i, ... 13-12 are turntables
12 is placed on top of 11 with rotational symmetry about the axis of rotation 12
Stations of the chuck device 13 of the set, 14 and 15 are a pair of ultrasonic sensors provided opposite to each other with the movement path of the chuck device 13 interposed therebetween, and 16 is provided downwardly above the movement path of the chuck device 13. Ultrasonic sensor, 17
Numerals 18 are attached to the chuck device 13 and press the palm and instep of the glove being conveyed, 19 and 20 are air cylinders for moving the pressing plates 17 and 18 back and forth toward the glove, and 20 is a defective product. Imprinting device, 21 is a defective product removal device, 22 is a defective product collection box, 23 is a glove hem folding device, 24
Is a control panel, and 25 and 26 are operation switches.

FIG. 2 shows the machine base 10, the rotary table 11, the rotary shaft 12, and the two stations 13-3 and 13 shown in FIG.
-9 chucking device (other chucking devices are omitted for clarity), ultrasonic sensors 14 and 15, hem folding device 23, control panel 24, operation switches 25 and 26, Shown are an air cylinder 27 that operates the chucking device at station 13-9, a rod 28 of the air cylinder 27 and a bracket 29 that supports the air cylinder 27.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned symbols 13-1, 13-2, ... 13
.., 13-12 are not used to indicate a specific chucking device, but are used to indicate a station of the chucking device. In other words, one chucking device 13 has a station 13 designated by these symbols.
, 13-2, ... 13-i, ..., 13-12 are sequentially passed to move.

The rotary table 11 is supported by a rotary shaft 12, and is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by a driving device (not shown). Twelve sets of chuck devices 13-1, 13-2, ... 13-i, ...
13-12 are provided, and along their movement paths,
Ultrasonic sensors 14 and 15, same 16 and pressing plate 1
Glove pressing device consisting of 7, 18 and air cylinders 19 and 20 for controlling them, defective product stamping device 20, defective product removing device 2
1, hem folding device 23 is provided.

The glove to be inspected is indicated by reference numeral 13- in FIG.
One chucking device 13 at station 1
Is attached to the inside of the container, is supplied with air inside, and is inflated, and is conveyed in the clockwise direction in the drawing by the chuck device. The chuck device 13 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, it is assumed that the glove 30 is attached to one of the chuck devices 13 in the state shown in FIG. 2 and moves with the chuck device,
The function of this test apparatus will be described.

When the chuck device 13 to which the glove 30 is attached passes through the station indicated by reference numeral 13-3, it passes between the pair of ultrasonic sensors 14 and 15. At this time,
If there is a pinhole on the palm or instep of the glove 30, ultrasonic waves will be generated when air is ejected from the pinhole.
The presence of pinholes can be known by detecting the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic wave is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 14 or 15 in the direction in which the jet airflow due to the pinhole is directed.

However, it is difficult to detect the pinhole between the fingers only with the ultrasonic sensor 14 or 15.
For the pinhole at such a portion, the glove 30 has a reference numeral 13-.
It is detected when the station shown in 5 is reached.
In this position, the glove is sandwiched between the pair of pressing plates 17 and 18 and is squeezed slightly strongly. Therefore, the fingers are opened, the part between the fingers is expanded, and if there is a pinhole in that part, the pinhole is expanded and the jet airflow is amplified.

At this position, the ultrasonic sensor 16 is provided above the glove, that is, in the direction in which the middle finger points. In other words, the ultrasonic sensor 16 is held downward above the glove so that the five fingers of the glove can pass under the glove in sequence. Therefore, if there is a pinhole between the fingers of the glove or the tip of the finger, the defect will be immediately detected.

When any of these ultrasonic sensors 14, 15 or 16 detects an ultrasonic wave, the control circuit 24 immediately issues an alarm and the chuck device holding the glove 30 is moved to the position indicated by reference numeral 13-7. When it arrives, the defective product stamping device 20
When the chuck device arrives at the station indicated by the reference numeral 13-8, the defective product removing device 21 is operated to remove the defective product from the chuck device to remove the defective product. It is put in the collection box 22.

Then, the non-defective product whose generation of ultrasonic waves is not detected is folded by the hem folding device 23 provided at the station indicated by reference numeral 13-9, and the worker at the position indicated by reference numeral 13-9. Removed by.

This detection method is extremely reliable and highly accurate. According to the result of the comparison test with the conventional inspection method specified by JIS, the inspection method determined by the conventional inspection method specified by JIS is It was confirmed that it could not be detected, and conversely, it was confirmed that a defective product, which was not detected by the conventional JIS inspection method, could be surely detected.

The frequency and intensity of the generated ultrasonic waves vary over 20 to 100 kHz depending on the material and thickness of gloves, air pressure, temperature, size and shape of pinholes, etc. 38 to 42 as ultrasonic sensor
It is recommended to use one with a detection band of kHz. With this ultrasonic sensor, it is possible to detect pinholes practically completely.

Further, in the above, three ultrasonic sensors are used, and they are arranged so as to point to the palm surface, the back surface, and the fingertip, respectively. However, the numbers of these are increased, for example, the palm surface and the back surface, respectively. And two for the fingers may be used and arranged at different angles, heights, or bands, and for example, the glove may be rotated, tilted, or lifted in front of the ultrasonic sensor, On the contrary, the ultrasonic sensors may be moved to scan the surface of the glove, and in such a case, the number of ultrasonic sensors may be one or two.

Next, a glove holder, that is, a chuck device will be described. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG. 4, but is substantially a bottom view of the chuck device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3, showing a state when the gloves are put on and taken off. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken along the line C-C in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 shows a state when the gloves are attached and detached, and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the gloves are chucked.

The chuck device 13 includes a fixed fastener 131, a movable fastener 132, a distance piece 133, a drive plate 134,
Connecting rods 135 and 136, ball slides 137 and 138, hoses 139, hose joints 140 and 141, compression springs 142 and
143, some other set screws.

An air cylinder 27 is provided below the chuck device 13 at a position where the gloves 30 are attached and detached.
The air cylinder 27 is supported by a bracket 29,
The drive plate 134 is pushed up by the rod 28.

The fixed fastener 131 is a disk having a dish-shaped cross section having an edge 131a on the periphery thereof, and is fixed to the rotary table 11 via a distance piece 133. The distance piece 133 has a hole through which the hose 139 penetrates in the center, and a bearing hole for accommodating the ball slides 137 and 138, respectively, and a compression spring, sandwiching the hole through the hose through hole.
Holes are provided to accommodate 142 and 143.

The connecting rods 135 and 136 are movably supported by ball slides 137 and 138 provided inside the distance piece 133. The connecting rods 135 and 136 penetrate through the holes provided in the rotary table 11 to drive the drive plate 134 and the movable fastener. It is connected to 132.

The compression springs 142 and 143 are accommodated in the mounting hole opened downward in the distance piece 133 and always exert an elastic force in the direction of pushing down the drive plate 134, and the state shown in FIG. That is, when the drive plate 134 is pushed up by the rod 28 of the air cylinder 27, it is completely compressed and is inside the mounting hole, but in the state shown in FIG. 6, that is, when the rod 28 is pulled down. , Which extends and pushes down the drive plate 134. At that time, the movable fastener 132, which is connected to the drive plate 134, is also pulled down.

Further, the drive plate 134 is provided with a hose joint 141 to which the hose 31 for supplying compressed air from the outside is connected, and the compressed air supplied from the hose 31 is introduced into the drive plate 134. It is sent to the upper surface of the movable fastener 132 via the air passage and the hose 139 provided.

The movable fastener 132, to which the glove 30 is attached, is provided with a downwardly projecting edge 132b around a disk-shaped main body portion 132a, and a cylindrical hem folded portion 132c at the center of the upper surface thereof. Consists of The movable fastener 132 also has a hose joint 140 that leads to a hose 139.

The movable fastener 132 is connected to the drive plate 134, and is moved up and down together with the drive plate 134. When the movable fastener 132 is lowered, its edge 132b comes into contact with the slope 131b inside the edge 131a of the fixed fastener 131. It is supposed to do.

The chuck device 13 is at the position 13-1 shown in FIG.
When the position is reached, the air cylinder 27 provided at that position operates and the rod 28 extends, so that the drive plate 134 is pushed up and the chuck device 13 moves to the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Become.

In that case, one glove 30 is put on and attached to the movable fastener 132 by the hand of the operator. The circumference of the main body portion 132a of the movable fastener 132 is considerably longer than the length around the hem of the glove 30, and the glove 30 is attached to the movable fastener 132 with the hem winding stretched.

In this state, when the rod 28 of the air cylinder 27 is retracted, the movable fastener 132 is lowered together with the drive plate 134 which receives the elastic force of the compression springs 142 and 143, and the hem of the glove 30 is fixed. It will be sandwiched between 131.
Since the hem of the glove 30 is strongly tightened by the elastic force of the compression springs 142 and 143, the glove 30 is airtightly chucked.

In this state, from the hose 31 0.1 to 0.3 kg / cm
^{About 2} compressed air is sent and the glove 30 is inflated. The rotary table 11 rotates and the chuck device 13 moves the air cylinder 27.
This condition is maintained even if you move to a station without
A series of tests are conducted. When the test is completed and the treatment for the defective product is completed, the switching valve (not shown) connected to the hose 31 is switched, and the gloves 30 are deflated.

The chuck device is the station shown in FIG.
When it reaches 13-9, the hem folding device 23 is activated to push the glove 30 into the cylindrical hem folding part 132c of the movable fastener 132, whereby the hem of the glove is folded. Next, one air cylinder is also provided at the station 13-10 of the chuck device, and when the chuck device reaches the station 13-10, the drive plate 134 is pushed up again by the action of the air cylinder, and the operator is Gloves by gloves 30
Is removed.

The glove holder is not limited to this chuck device, but may be a conventional O-shaped band or the like, and the structure of the chuck device is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the shape and the supporting method of the fixed fastener 131 and the movable fastener 132 can be changed as appropriate, and the actuator for moving the movable fastener 132 up and down is provided outside the air cylinder or the cam. , Levers, solenoids, etc. can be used. Further, this chuck device can be widely used not only for gloves but also for inspection of finger cots, condoms and the like.

[0040]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, according to the present invention, the automation is easy, the inspection does not require manpower, the human sense is not relied upon, and the operation is mechanically and objectively performed. It is highly reliable because it can judge the quality of the product, the inspection can be done in an extremely short time, and it is economical because it does not require steps such as cleaning and drying after the inspection, and it is hygienic, reliable and economical. It is possible to provide a method and an apparatus capable of inspecting this type of product.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section in FIG. 1 of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an example of a glove chuck device used in this device.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing an AA section of the chuck device shown in FIG.

5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a BB cross section of the chuck device shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where the chuck device shown in FIG. 5 chucks gloves.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ・ ・ Machine 11 ・ ・ Rotary table 12 ・ ・ Rotation axis 13 ・ ・ Chuck device 14, 15, 16 ・ ・ Ultrasonic sensor 17, 18 ・... Pressing plates 19, 20 ... Air cylinders

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A bag-shaped product made of a thin synthetic resin or a rubber film to be inspected for defects is airtightly mounted by covering a holder adapted to the opening with a gas slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. In the method of enclosing and inflating, detecting the leak and detecting the presence or absence of a pinhole, an ultrasonic detector is installed at a position facing the surface to be inspected of the product to detect the presence or absence of leak air flow. The above-mentioned inspection method characterized. 2. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic detector is an electrostrictive element capable of detecting ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz. 3. The inspection method according to claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic detector is an electrostrictive element capable of detecting ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 38 to 42 kHz. 4. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic detector is arranged in a jet stream to be generated when a pinhole is present on the surface to be inspected. 5. A bag-shaped product made of a thin synthetic resin or a rubber film to be inspected for defects is airtightly attached by covering a holder fitting in the opening with a gas slightly higher than atmospheric pressure inside. A device for enclosing and inflating, detecting leaks, and inspecting for the presence of pinholes. A rotating table equipped with a plurality of holders and a device for supplying compressed air to the holders mounted on the rotating table. And at least one ultrasonic detector that is placed facing the surface to be inspected of the product that moves due to the rotation of the rotating table, and the ultrasonic wave generated from the surface of the product to be inspected that passes through the front of the ultrasonic detector. The above-mentioned inspection device comprising: a device that, when a sound wave is detected, determines that the product is defective. 6. The product to be inspected is a rubber glove, and the ultrasonic detector is provided at a position facing the palm surface, a position facing the instep surface, and in the direction in which the finger is directed, and the inspection is performed. The inspection device according to claim 4, further comprising a device that presses the palm surface and the back surface of the ultrasonic detector when the gloves come to the front surface of the ultrasonic detector provided in the direction in which the finger is pointing. apparatus. 7. The inspection method according to claim 4, wherein the ultrasonic detector is an electrostrictive element capable of detecting ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz. 8. The inspection method according to claim 7, wherein the ultrasonic detector is an electrostrictive element capable of detecting ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 38 to 42 kHz.