JPH0763539A - Surface inspecting device for spherical material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the inspection precision for the surface of a spherical material such as a steel ball, and automatically and efficiently perform the selection for the propriety as a product CONSTITUTION:An inspecting part 1 can detect the defect of a spherical material surface placed on a holding part 2. The holding part 20 has a rotatable support part 20 and an auxiliary support part 23 for supporting the spherical material together with the support part 20. The support part 20 has a receiving groove 3 formed in ring along the rotating circumferential surface. The receiving groove 3 can house about the bottom part of the spherical material and change the direction of the spherical material by rolling the spherical material in the receiving groove 3 by the rotation of the support part 20, so that the inspecting position of the spherical material can be automatically changed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to steel balls, other metal balls,
The present invention relates to a surface inspection device for ceramic balls, spherical stones, plastic balls, and other spherical objects.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to detect flaws on a surface of a spherical object such as a steel ball and inspect for sphericity, light is applied to the surface of the spherical object.
The method of detecting the reflected light with an optical sensor has been generally used. In such detection, there has been a demand for improving the inspection accuracy by detecting a plurality of positions on the surface of the spherical object. In response to such a demand, it was possible to use a large number of sensors and arrange the sensors at different parts of the spherical object to inspect at a plurality of positions in a single inspection operation.

[0003]

However, even if a large number of sensors are used to extensively inspect each position on the surface of the spherical object, the bottom of the spherical object is supported by a holder or a mounting table. Since the sensor cannot be provided, it becomes necessary to change the positions of the upper hemisphere and the lower hemisphere and perform the inspection again after the inspection of the upper hemisphere of the spherical object. If such work is relied on manually, a large amount of spherical objects cannot be efficiently inspected. The present invention is intended to solve the above problems.

[0004]

A spherical object surface inspection apparatus according to the first invention of the present application is capable of mounting an inspection unit 1 equipped with an electromagnetic wave sensor such as an optical sensor and a spherical object such as a steel ball. The holding unit 2 is provided and has the following configuration. The inspection unit 1 can detect a defect or the like on the surface of the spherical object placed on the holding unit 2 with an appropriate number of electromagnetic wave sensors. The holding part 2 has a rotatable support part 20 and an auxiliary support part 23 that supports a spherical object together with the support part 20. The supporting portion 20 has a receiving groove 3 formed in an annular shape along the rotating peripheral surface thereof, and this receiving groove 3 can accommodate the vicinity of the bottom of the spherical object, and the supporting portion 20. It is possible to roll the spherical object in the receiving groove 3 and change the direction of the spherical object by rotating. The auxiliary support portion 23 is formed separately from the support portion 20, is disposed in the vicinity of the support portion 20, supports a portion exposed from the receiving groove 3 of the spherical object, and holds the spherical object in a fixed position. . The spherical object surface inspection apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is the auxiliary support section 2 according to the first aspect of the present invention.
3 has a rotator 230 at a portion in contact with the spherical object. The rotating body 230 can rotate the spherical object in a direction different from the direction in which the support portion 20 rotates. Furthermore, the spherical object surface inspection apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention includes an inspection unit 1 including an electromagnetic wave sensor such as an optical sensor, and a holding unit 2 capable of mounting a spherical object such as a steel ball. And has the following configuration. That is, the inspection unit 1 can detect a defect or the like on the surface of the spherical object placed on the holding unit 2 with an appropriate number of electromagnetic wave sensors. The holding portion 2 includes a rotatable first support portion 21 and a rotatable second support portion 22.
And the auxiliary support portion 23 that supports the spherical object together with the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22. The first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 can rotate at different rotation speeds. The surface inspection apparatus for spherical objects according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the same as the third aspect of the present invention.
The rotating body 23 is provided at a portion where the auxiliary support portion 23 comes into contact with the spherical object.
The rotating body 230 is capable of imparting a rotating force in an appropriate direction to the spherical object.

[0005]

In the device according to the first aspect of the present invention which employs the above means, the spherical object accommodated in the receiving groove 3 of the supporting portion 20 is moved in the receiving groove 3 by the rotation of the supporting portion 20. Roll the spherical object, change the direction of the spherical object, and
The inspection position of the spherical object can be changed automatically. Further, in the device according to the second aspect of the present invention, since it is possible to rotate the spherical object in a direction different from the rolling direction of the spherical object of the support portion 20, the number of electromagnetic wave sensors included in the inspection unit 1, Regardless of the installation position, it is possible to uniformly inspect each part of the spherical object without biasing the inspection position. Further, in the device according to the third invention of the present application, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 which constitute the holding portion 2 and support the spherical object rotate at different rotational speeds. Therefore, the mounted spherical object can be turned not only in one direction but also in multiple directions. Therefore, the surface of the spherical object can be inspected uniformly at multiple angles. Still further, the device according to the fourth invention of the present application is the auxiliary support portion 23 according to the third invention.
Since it is possible for the rotating body 230 of to have a rotational force to the spherical object with respect to the spherical object, in addition to the supply of the rotational force to the spherical object by the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22,
It has become possible to change the direction of the inspection site for finer spherical objects.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface inspection apparatus for spherical objects such as steel balls according to the present invention is a spherical object M formed of steel balls, other metal balls, ceramic balls, spherical stones, plastic balls, and other materials. Is a device that can be used to inspect the surface of
The inspection unit 1 includes an electromagnetic wave sensor such as an optical sensor, and the holding unit 2 on which the spherical object M can be placed. The configuration of each unit will be described below in order.

The inspection unit 1 is capable of detecting defects and the like on the surface of the spherical object M placed on the holding unit 2 with an appropriate number of electromagnetic wave sensors. More specifically, it is formed separately from the holding unit 2 described below, and is arranged above the holding unit 2. The inspection unit 1 has a plurality of optical sensors 10 ... Each sensor 10 performs surface inspection by applying light to an inspection target and receiving the reflected light. As such an optical sensor 10, the light transmitting portion 11 and the light receiving portion 12 are unitized (integrated).
The light-transmitting part 11 and the light-receiving part 12 may be separately provided (FIG. 3). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the optical sensor 10
Shows the radial arrangement, but other arrangements are also feasible. In addition, the optical sensor 10
It is also possible to perform the surface inspection using electromagnetic waves other than ordinary visible light. Sensor 10 to be installed
The number of ... Is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be more or less than that shown. The individual sensors 10 are formed as small as possible, and the intervals between the adjacent sensors 10 and 10 are set to be small so that the number of the installed sensors 10 is increased.・ Because the range increases,
Effective in inspection efficiency.

The holding portion 2 has a rotatable supporting portion 20 and an auxiliary supporting portion 23 capable of supporting the spherical object M together with the supporting portion 20. Each component of the holder 2 will be described in order.

The support portion 20 includes a disc-shaped rotating portion 200,
It has a rotating shaft 201 and a bearing 202.

The disk-shaped rotating portion 200 has a receiving groove 3 formed in an annular shape along the peripheral surface. As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving groove 3 is a portion that is recessed from the surface of the rotating portion 200. The vicinity of the bottom of the spherical portion M is received in the receiving groove 3 (FIG. 12). In FIG. 1, the receiving groove 3 is shown as being recessed in a substantially V shape in a sectional view, but the receiving groove 3 is not limited to such a shape and can be implemented with other shapes. That is, as long as the spherical portion M has a shape that does not fall off, the receiving groove 3 is not limited to such an internal shape, and it is also possible to form the receiving groove 3 in another shape, for example, a substantially U shape in cross section. . Also, when the receiving groove 3 is formed in a V-shape in cross section, it is possible to make the inclination angle of both inner walls larger or smaller than that shown in the drawing.
It is possible to implement the depth different from that shown. The receiving groove 3 may be formed in an appropriate size according to the size of the spherical object M. Other examples of the forms of the holding portion 2 and the receiving groove 3 will be described later.

In the above embodiment, the rotary shaft 200 is
One end is fixed to the center of the rear end surface of the rotating unit 200 (in FIG. 1, the right side of the rotating unit 200 is the front end and the left side is the rear end). The rotating shaft 200 rotates the rotating unit 200 with the rotational force obtained from a rotational force supplying unit such as an electric motor. Such a rotational force supply means can be implemented even if it is directly connected to the rotary shaft 201.
The present invention can be carried out even if it obtains a rotational force via a gear or pulley and a belt or the like. The bearing portion 202 rotatably supports the rotating shaft 201. In each drawing, the structure for supporting the bearing portion 202 itself is omitted in order to avoid complication of the drawings.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a protrusion shaft 203, which is an extension of the rotary shaft 201, is also provided at the center of the tip surface of the rotary unit 200.
It is also effective to support the rotating portion 200 from both sides by providing the bearing portion 204 in which the protruding shaft 203 is loosely fitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary support portion 23 is a tubular body extending in the horizontal direction, the rear end of which is fixed to the device, and the front end (the left end in FIG. 3 is the front end and the right end is the rear end) is spherical. By contacting the lateral surface of the object M, the spherical object M is supported by the supporting portion 20.
It is prevented from falling off from the receiving groove 3 of. In this way, the spherical portion M is held in a fixed position by the supporting portion 20 and the auxiliary supporting portion 23. Then, due to the rotation of the support portion 20, the spherical object rolls in the receiving groove 3 and changes its direction with respect to the inspection portion 1. Incidentally, the auxiliary support portion 23
It is effective that the tip of the bearing has a bearing 231 as shown in FIG. 4, so that the spherical object M can be smoothly rotated by the support portion 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the auxiliary support portion 23 has a rotary body 230 such as a rubber roller at its tip, and this rotary body 230 has transmission means such as gears 232 and 233 and a worm gear 234. Via a motor or the like (which is different from the one that supplies the rotating shaft 211 with the rotating force, not shown), and the spherical force is applied to the spherical substance M by the support portion 1 in a different direction. It is also effective to rotate M. The structure for rotating the rotating body 230 is not limited to that shown in FIG.
It is possible to use a pulley or a pulley belt to rotate, or to obtain a rotational force by another method. The case of adopting the configuration of gears or the like is not limited to that shown in FIG. 5, and it is possible to adopt a different arrangement, a different number of gears, or another type of gear. Further, the rotating body 230 itself is not limited to the rubber roller or the like, and other materials or members can be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the holding portion 2 is shown to be composed of the supporting portion 20 and the auxiliary supporting portion 23. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding portion 2 is a rotatable first portion. The present invention can be implemented even if it is composed of the support portion 21, the second support portion 22 rotatable independently of the rotation of the first support portion 21, and the auxiliary support portion 23. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the above-mentioned supporting portion 2 includes the first supporting portion 21 which constitutes the left side thereof and the second supporting portion 22 which constitutes the right side thereof.
The first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are formed so as to be separately rotatable. Therefore, in the support portion 2 of the above-described embodiment (for example, shown in FIG. 1), it is considered that the above-mentioned first support portion 21 and the first support portion 21 are integrally formed, and these rotate in the same body. Good. In this embodiment, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 will be described by taking as examples the ones having substantially the same rotation diameter. However, the spherical object M is supported and the spherical object M is supported.
If the rotational force can be supplied to the first support portion 2
It can be implemented even if the diameters of the first and second support portions 22 are different. Both of these supporting portions 21, 22, 23 support the spherical object M so as not to fall off. Hereinafter, each component of the holder 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 will be described in detail.

The first support portion 21 includes a rotating portion 210, a rotating shaft 211, and a bearing 212. The rotating part 210 is
It is formed in a disk shape, and a tapered contact surface 213 is formed on the peripheral surface. Back side 2 of this rotating part 210
One end of a rotary shaft 211 is fixed to the center of 14. The rotating shaft 211 rotates the rotating unit 210 with a rotating force obtained by a rotating force supply unit (not shown) such as an electric motor. The bearing 212 rotatably supports the rotating shaft 211 (bearing 212
The supporting means itself is omitted in the drawing in order to avoid complication of the drawing).

Similarly to the first support portion 21, the second support portion 22 also includes a rotary shaft 221 and a bearing 222. Rotating part 2
20 is formed in a disk shape, and a tapered contact surface 223 is formed on the peripheral surface. This rotating part 220
One end of the rotary shaft 221 is fixed to the center of the back surface 224 of the. The rotating shaft 221 uses a rotating force obtained by a rotating force supply unit (not shown) such as an electric motor to rotate the rotating unit 220.
Is to rotate. The bearing 222 rotatably supports the rotating shaft 221 (bearing 22).
The supporting means of 2 itself is omitted in order to avoid complication of the drawing).

As shown in FIG. 6, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 21
The support part 22 is arranged so that both rotary shafts 211 and 212 are located on the same straight line, and both rotary parts 210,
The disk surfaces of 220 are arranged so as to face each other. Contact surfaces 213, 22 of both the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22
3 forms a valley V having a substantially V-shaped cross section, and the spherical object M is placed in the valley V. The inclination angle of each of the contact surfaces 213 and 223 forming the valley V can be appropriately changed according to the size of the spherical object M. Both rotating parts 210, 22
The interval W between 0 can also be appropriately changed according to the size of the spherical object M to be placed. Further, the contact surfaces 213 and 223 are not limited to those formed in a tapered shape (conical shape or truncated cone shape), and other shapes can be used. Therefore, the valley V formed by the contact surfaces 213 and 223
However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned V-shaped cross-sectional view, and other forms can be adopted according to the shapes of the other contact surfaces 213 and 223. Here, the valley V formed by the contact surfaces 213 and 223 and having a substantially V-shaped cross section is
This corresponds to the receiving groove 3 of the above-mentioned embodiment (for example, shown in FIG. 1). Therefore, another example of the shape of the valley V will be described later together with another example of the shape of the receiving groove 3 in FIG.

The contacting surfaces 213 and 223 and the auxiliary supporting portion 23 described above ensure that the spherical object M is supported at three points. With this configuration, the rotating portions 210, 22 of the first supporting portion 21 and the second supporting portion 22 respectively.
0 rotates at different rotation speeds, and the direction of rotation of the spherical object M can be changed. Also, the rotating parts 210, 2
By adjusting the difference in the number of rotations of 20, the change in the direction of rotation of the spherical object M may be adjusted, and the most efficient change in the direction of rotation of the spherical object M may be set.

When rotating the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 at different rotational speeds, as described above, the structure of the drive system (electric motor or the like) for the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22. Can be easily implemented by configuring the above as separate items. Separately from this, one electric motor for supplying the rotational force is shared (shared), and a plurality of gears having different gear ratios, or a plurality of pulleys and belts having different diameters are used for the driving force transmission system, that is, It is also possible to implement these configurations by making the rotation speed of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 different by interposing the electric motor and the respective rotary shafts 211 and 221 (not shown). ). The difference in the number of rotations can be changed as needed. Also, this rotation is not necessarily limited to one rotation or more. For example, if a small angle such as a half rotation or a quarter rotation can be sufficiently inspected, it is referred to here. It is included in the concept of rotation.

Another embodiment of the drive means or drive force transmission means for the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the one shown in FIG. 7 is not the one in which the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are not in contact with each other. That is, the bearing portion 214 is formed at the center of the board surface of the first support portion 21, and the projection shaft 224 that is an extension of the rotary shaft 221 is formed at the center of the board surface of the second support portion 22. The bearing portion 214 is rotatably accommodated. With this configuration, the first support portion 21 can serve as one end of the support of the second support portion 22 without hindering the rotation thereof.

FIG. 8 shows the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 21.
The support portion 22 is loosely fitted to the single rotary shaft 230. More specifically, in the first support portion 21, the rotating portion 210 and the bearing 212 are integrally formed, and the second support portion 22 is formed.
The rotating part 220 and the bearing 222 are integrally formed. The respective support portions 21 and 22 are rotatable with respect to the shaft 230, and both the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are configured to receive the rotational force directly from the other ( The supply means of the rotational force is omitted to avoid complicating the drawing).

FIG. 9 shows a composite type of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 and the embodiment shown in FIG. More specifically, the first support portion 21 has a rotating portion 210 and a bearing 212 that are integrally formed, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to a shaft 230. The first supporting portion 21 is rotated by being directly supplied with a rotational force from the other (the transmission means is omitted to avoid complicating the drawing). On the other hand, in the second support portion 22, the rotary portion 220 and the rotary shaft 221 are formed in the same body, and the second support portion 22 is provided with a separate bearing 222. This rotating shaft 2
Reference numeral 21 is the same body as the shaft 230 (one of which is an extension of the other), and rotates the rotating portion 220 by supplying a rotational force from the other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, an auxiliary bearing 231 is separately provided to stabilize the rotation.

An embodiment in which another configuration is adopted for the holding portion 2 (the receiving groove 3 or the contact surfaces 213 and 223) will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16.

The one shown in FIG. 10 corresponds to the one shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.
In the embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the inside of the receiving groove 3 of the support portion 20 that supports the spherical object M is formed in an arc shape, that is, a shape along the spherical object M. See also FIG.
As shown in, the cross-sectional shape of the inside of the receiving groove 3 of the support portion 20 that supports the spherical object M can be implemented even if it is not an arc shape completely along the spherical object M.

Further, another embodiment will be described. Each embodiment described below is of the type shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, that is, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 (or FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9). 1 as shown in FIG.
A member corresponding to the support portion 20 of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion
The support portion 22 and the support portions 21 and 2
No. 2 can be implemented in any of those that can rotate separately (hereinafter referred to as B type).
Here, for convenience of explanation, in the case of the A type as well, similar to the B type, the supporting portion 20 is composed of the first supporting portion 21 and the second supporting portion 22, and the receiving groove 3 thereof is also the both supporting portions. It is assumed that the contact surfaces 213 and 223 of the grooves 21 and 22 are formed (hence, the receiving groove 3 has a valley V
Equivalent to. (See FIG. 12). In the case of the A type, it may be considered that the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are integrated.

First, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the first supporting portion 21 and the second supporting portion 22 are arranged with an appropriate interval. Both contact surfaces 213 and 223 are shown in FIG.
Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the cross-sectional shape along the spherical object M is formed on each arc. 30 is the first
A disk-shaped or shaft-shaped spacer for maintaining a space between the support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 is shown. In the case of the A type, the spacer 30 is the first support portion 2
It is formed integrally with the first and second support portions 22.
In the case of type B, the spacer 30 is the first support portion 21.
It is also possible to carry out as a thing independent of both and the 2nd support part 22 (it is not influenced by the rotation of both), and it is possible to carry out only to either the 1st support part 21 or the 2nd support part 22. In addition, as an accessory, it can be implemented even if it rotates together with either the first support portion 21 or the second support portion 22.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, both contact surfaces 21
No. 3,223 is merely formed in an arc shape, and it is possible to implement it even if it is not completely spherical. Incidentally, regarding the embodiment shown in FIG.
The configuration other than 13, 223 is almost the same as that shown in FIG. However, in FIG. 14, the spacer 30 is
Although a width (width in the left and right in FIG. 14) wider than that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 is shown, the dimensions of the spacer 30 such as such a width can be changed as necessary. is there. When the structure shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is applied to the B type, it is possible to maintain the distance between the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 without using the spacer 30. is there. This also applies to the other embodiments described below.

FIG. 15 shows a composite type of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 and the embodiment shown in FIG. That is, one of the contact surfaces 213 and 223 is completely
It is formed so as to be along the spherical object M, but the other is formed in an arc shape which is not completely along the spherical object M (cross-sectional view). Thus, the first support portion 21
It is also possible that the rotating parts 210 and 220 of the second support part 22 are formed in a shape that does not become bilaterally symmetrical.

The structure shown in FIG. 16 is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 in the A type and the B type without using the structure of the spacer 30 or the like.
That is, it is carried out without a large gap between the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the contact surface 21 is
3, 223 has a convex curved surface to the outside. Also in this embodiment, similar to the one shown in FIG. 16, the spacer 30 is not provided, and the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are provided.
Although there is no large gap between the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22, apart from this, by using the above-mentioned means such as the spacer 30, an appropriate gap is provided. It is also possible to carry it out.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the first support portion 2 is used.
1 and the second support portion 22 are shown as a combination of different shapes. In FIG. 18, in FIG.
Although a composite type of the one shown in FIG. 17 and the one shown in FIG. 17 is shown, a combination of different ones of the other shapes described above can also be implemented.

Further, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 have a rotation diameter (or a maximum outer diameter at rest) and a thickness (FIG. 12).
18 to 18, it is possible to implement even if the widths in the left-right direction are different. For example, the one shown in FIG.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the outer diameter of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 and the width are different. Due to such a difference, as illustrated, the contact surface 21
It is also possible that the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 have different inclination angles 3 and 223.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 shown in FIG. 20, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 have a rotation diameter (or maximum outer diameter at rest) and a thickness (in the figure). The widths in the left-right direction are different.

In addition, FIG. 21 shows that in the embodiment of FIG. 14 described above, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 have a rotation diameter (or maximum outer diameter at rest) and a thickness (FIG. The widths in the left-right direction are different.

In the embodiment of FIG. 15 shown in FIG. 22, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 have a rotation diameter (or maximum outer diameter at rest) and a thickness (in the figure). The widths in the left-right direction are different.

Further, the one shown in FIG. 23 is the same as the embodiment shown in FIG.
The number 2 is formed so as to have different rotation diameters (or maximum outer diameters at rest). In this embodiment, the thickness of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 (width in the left-right direction in the drawing)
As for the above, substantially the same ones are listed, but it is also possible to form and carry out with different thicknesses.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 shown in FIG. 24, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are
It is formed so that the rotation diameter (or the maximum outer diameter when stationary) and the thickness (width in the left-right direction in the drawing) are different.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, shown in FIG. 25 is that the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are
The rotation diameters (or maximum outer diameters at rest) are different. In this embodiment, the first support portion 21
The thicknesses (widths in the left-right direction in the drawing) of the second support portion 22 and those of the second support portion 22 are substantially equal to each other.

As described above, FIG. 12 to FIG.
In the fifth embodiment, even in the above-mentioned A type,
Even the B type can be implemented.

In each of the above-described embodiments, by adopting the following configuration, it is possible to completely automate a series of steps such as supply of the spherical objects M to be inspected and selection according to the inspection result. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the spherical portion M to be inspected
The supply unit 4 capable of accommodating the
The supply unit 4 is provided with a guide 40 for sequentially feeding the spherical objects M to the holding unit 2 from the bottom. The inspection unit 1 includes the supply unit 4 to the guide 4
At 0, light is projected from the light transmitting unit 11 onto the surface of the spherical object M that is automatically sent to the holding unit 2, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving unit 12. Then, the result is transmitted to the optical sensor array 13. The rear end of the auxiliary support portion 23 is fixed to the other end, and when the inspection is completed, the front end rises upward to open the spherical object M and drop it into the sorting portion 5. The selection unit 5 detects the light by using the optical sensor array 13, and
The spherical objects M are selected based on the data sent to No. 4 and judged as pass / fail. The sorting unit 5 may be implemented using a conventionally known device. For example, as shown in FIG.
It constitutes a branched passage, and the spherical object M which has been rejected as a result of the inspection is sent to one of the branched passages 51, and the passed spherical object M is sent to the other passage 52. In this way, the sorting unit 5 sorts the individual spherical objects M from the inspection results obtained by the respective inspection units 1 according to the suitability determination. In this embodiment, it is appropriate to form a lid for closing the one passage and opening the other passage at the branching portion depending on whether the spherical object M sent along one of the passages 51 and 52 is passed. Is.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 10
Alternatively, the constituent members such as the holding portion 2 are placed in the liquid E to perform the inspection, but the inspection may be performed in various gases or in vacuum. Liquid E is also
Regardless of the type, it is also possible to implement it so that it is used in a water-soluble rust preventive agent or other liquid even in oil.

The above-mentioned auxiliary supporting portion 23 shown in FIG. 5 has a rotating body 230 and applies a rotational force to the spherical object M independently of other supporting portions, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. Can also be implemented, and in that case, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 can be implemented even if they have the configurations shown in FIGS. 12 to 25.

Regarding this auxiliary support portion 23, for example, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the support portion 20 (or the first support portion 20) is used.
It is also possible to have a rotating body 230 having the same shape as the supporting portion 21 and the second supporting portion 22). Therefore, the rotating body 230 includes the support portion 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or FIGS. 10 to 25, or the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 2 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 or 12 to 25.
It is possible to adopt the same or similar shape and configuration as those of 2. Further, as described above, the rotating body 230 includes the support portion 20 or the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22,
The present invention is not limited to those arranged in the same direction, and while having the same or similar shape as the support portion 20 or the like, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. It can be implemented even if it has a rotary shaft.
Further, the rotating unit 230 may rotate independently by receiving a rotational force from another (not shown) as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Without holding it, the spherical object M rotates with it, and the spherical object M
It is possible to implement even if only to support the. Further, the structure for supporting the rotary pair 230 is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and for example, the same structure as that adopted for the supporting portion 20, the first supporting portion 21, and the second supporting portion 22 may be adopted. It is possible.

The optical sensor 10 of the inspection unit 1 can be implemented even if the light transmitting unit 11 and the light receiving unit 12 are held separately. For example, as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to use the holding body 100 having a substantially wedge-shaped cross section so as to hold the light transmitting portion 11 and the light receiving portion 12 in the same body. Further, in the optical sensors 10 ..., the numbers of the light transmitting portions 11 and the light receiving portions 12 do not have a one-to-one correspondence relationship, but may have a many-to-one relationship. As will be described in detail, for example, as shown in FIG. 29, it is also possible to implement with one light transmitting portion 11 as a center and a plurality of light receiving portions 12 arranged around the light transmitting portion 11. Note that, in FIG. 29, four optical fibers forming the light receiving portion 12 are provided around the optical fiber forming the light transmitting portion 11, but the number is not limited to this, and the light receiving portion 12 is not limited thereto. Even if the number of the optical fibers forming the above is 4 or less or 4 or more, the embodiment can be carried out. The optical sensor 10 shown in FIG.
When the ... Is adopted, as shown in FIG. 30, each light receiving unit 12 receives the light emitted from the light transmitting unit 11. In addition, when the optical sensor 10 of any form is adopted,
As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the optical sensors 10 ... Are not limited to those arranged in a fan shape, and the arrangement positions of the individual optical sensors 10 can be implemented even if they have different arrangement relationships. is there. Optical sensor 1 shown in FIGS. 29 and 30.
When 0 is used, only one photosensor 10 is shown in the figure, but the number is not limited to this, and a plurality of photosensors 10 may be provided. In this case as well, the positional relationship between the sensors 10 ... Is arbitrary, and may be provided at an arbitrary location as required.

In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 to 9, the bearings 202 and 204 and the bearings 212 and 22 are used.
Although 2 and 231 use the ball bearings in the drawings, the bearings are not limited to such a structure, and bearings having other well-known structures can be used (not shown).

[0048]

By implementing the first invention of the present application, it becomes possible to automatically change the direction of the spherical object with respect to the sensor, and to efficiently and highly accurately inspect the surface of a large number of spherical objects. Is possible. By carrying out the second invention of the present application, in addition to the effect of the first invention, it is possible to reliably inspect a plurality of points on the surface of one spherical object, and to reliably detect defects and the like. Therefore, it is possible to accurately select whether the product is appropriate or not. Third application
By carrying out the invention of (1), it is possible to reliably inspect a plurality of points on the surface of one spherical object, it is possible to reliably detect defects and the like, and it is possible to accurately select whether or not the product is appropriate. It is possible. Further, by carrying out the fourth invention of the present application, in addition to the effect of the third invention, finer adjustment is possible and finer inspection is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an overall schematic side view of each of the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a partly cutaway essential portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of essential parts showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the main parts of the above embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a front view of essential parts showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a main part front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a main part front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a front view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a front view of essential parts showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a front view of a main portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a schematic plan view of an essential part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a schematic side view of an essential part of the above embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a schematic side view of an essential part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a schematic bottom view of an essential part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a schematic side view of an essential part of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inspection part 2 Holding part 3 Receiving groove 20 Support part 21 1st support part 22 2nd support part 23 Auxiliary support part

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 27, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 3

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 3]

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 8, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0023

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 8 shows the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 21.
The support portion 22 is loosely fitted to the single rotary shaft 240 . More specifically, in the first support portion 21, the rotating portion 210 and the bearing 212 are integrally formed, and the second support portion 22 is formed.
The rotating part 220 and the bearing 222 are integrally formed. The respective support portions 21 and 22 are rotatable with respect to the shaft 240 , and both the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are configured to be directly supplied with the rotational force from the other ( The supply means of the rotational force is omitted to avoid complicating the drawing).

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0024

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 9 shows a composite type of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 and the embodiment shown in FIG. More specifically, the first support portion 21 has a rotating portion 210 and a bearing 212 that are integrally formed, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to a shaft 240 . The first supporting portion 21 is rotated by being directly supplied with a rotational force from the other (the transmission means is omitted to avoid complicating the drawing). On the other hand, in the second support portion 22, the rotary portion 220 and the rotary shaft 221 are formed in the same body, and the second support portion 22 is provided with a separate bearing 222. This rotating shaft 2
Reference numeral 21 is the same body as the shaft 240 (one of which is an extension of the other), and is adapted to rotate the rotating portion 220 by supplying a rotational force from the other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, an auxiliary bearing 231 is separately provided to stabilize the rotation.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Figure 8

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 8]

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Figure 9

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 9]

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An inspection unit (1) equipped with an electromagnetic wave sensor such as an optical sensor, and a holding unit (2) on which a spherical object such as a steel ball can be placed. It is possible to detect defects on the surface of the spherical object placed on the holding part (2) by an appropriate number of electromagnetic wave sensors, and the holding part (2) is a rotatable support part (20). And a supporting portion (20) and an auxiliary supporting portion (23) for supporting a spherical object, and the supporting portion (20) has a receiving groove (3) formed in an annular shape along its rotating peripheral surface. ), And this receiving groove (3)
Is capable of accommodating the vicinity of the bottom of the spherical object, and by rotating the supporting part (20), the spherical object can be rolled in the receiving groove (3) to change the direction of the spherical object. Yes, the auxiliary support part (23) is formed separately from the support part (20), is arranged in the vicinity of the support part (20), and supports the part exposed from the receiving groove (3) of the spherical object. An apparatus for inspecting a surface of a spherical object, which holds an object in a fixed position. 2. The auxiliary support part (23) has a rotating body (230) at a portion in contact with a spherical object, and the rotating body (230) is formed by rotation of the supporting part (20). The spherical object surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spherical object can be rotated in a direction different from the direction. 3. An inspection unit (1) equipped with an electromagnetic wave sensor such as an optical sensor, and a holding unit (2) capable of mounting a spherical object such as a steel ball, wherein the inspection unit (1) is It is possible to detect defects on the surface of the spherical object placed on the holding part (2) by an appropriate number of electromagnetic wave sensors, and the holding part (2) can rotate the first support part ( 21), a second support part (22) which is also rotatable, and an auxiliary support part (23) for supporting a spherical object together with the first support part (21) and the second support part (22). The spherical object surface inspection apparatus characterized in that the first support portion (21) and the second support portion (22) can rotate at different rotation speeds. 4. The above-mentioned auxiliary support portion (23) has a rotating body (230) at a portion in contact with a spherical object.
The spherical object surface inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the (230) is capable of applying a rotational force in an appropriate direction to the spherical object.