JPH08159747A - Screw checking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a screw checking device of a simple construction that can check threads and measure the diameter and length of screw. CONSTITUTION: A screw drop passage 6 is formed along the vertical line under n intermittent feeder 2 designed to drop one screw (A) after another naturally. No. 1 light projection element array 8 and No. 1 light reception element array 9 are provided facing each other with the passage 6 between them, and, adjacent to the components 8 and 9, No. 2 light projection element array 10 and No. 2 light reception element array (not shown) are provided. Laser beams are applied from the projection element arrays 8, 10, and the screw (A) is checked by the amount of light shielded by the dropping screw A.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a screw discriminating apparatus capable of automatically and instantaneously recognizing the presence or absence of a screw thread, the total length and the diameter of a screw without touching the screw.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the total length and diameter of a screw are measured with a micrometer or calipers, but the efficiency is low because it is measured manually.

Therefore, in order to accurately measure the outer diameter and effective diameter of a screw, various dedicated optical screw discriminating devices using a laser beam have been proposed. For example, a screw discriminating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-147834 is composed of a movable supporting device for a screw, a measuring device for measuring the moving amount of the device, and a standard by inputting data from the measuring device. It is composed of an arithmetic and control unit and the like for collation.

[0004]

According to the screw discriminating device (described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-147834), the outer diameter, the effective diameter, the pitch, the angle of the screw thread, the diameter and shape of the trough are optically determined. Although it can be measured accurately, it has a drawback that the overall configuration is large and the measurement speed is slow, and the cost of the device is expensive.

The present invention provides a screw discriminating apparatus capable of instantaneously confirming the above items while narrowing the screw discriminating items to the presence / absence of a screw thread, the diameter and the total length thereof, while making the entire device simple. Has an aim.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a screw discriminating apparatus according to the present invention has a screw diameter which is slightly larger than a diameter of a screw to be measured and which is disposed along a vertical line. A passage, an intermittent supply means for supplying the screws to the upper end of the dropping passage one by one, a first light projecting element array and a first light receiving element arranged on both sides of the dropping passage in parallel with the dropping passage. It is characterized by comprising an element array and a second light projecting element array and a second light receiving element array which are arranged on both sides of the drop path perpendicularly to the drop path.

[0007]

The screw located at the lowermost end among the screws arranged along the vertical line is supplied to the drop passage one by one by the intermittent supply means.

Next, light rays are emitted from the first and second light projecting element arrays toward the screw which is naturally falling along the falling path.

Each light beam is received by the first and second light receiving element rows while being partially blocked by a screw.

The presence or absence of a screw and the diameter and length of the screw are calculated by comparing and calculating the fluctuations in the amount of light emitted from each light emitting element array and the amount of light received by each light receiving element array.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, this screw discriminating apparatus 1 forms a drop passage 6 for the screw A below the intermittent supply means 2 for the screw A, and firstly projects the drop passage 6 so as to sandwich the drop passage 6 from the left and right. While the element row 8 and the first light receiving element row 9 are arranged, the second light projecting element row 10 and the second light receiving element row 11 are arranged adjacent to the element row 8 so as to sandwich the fall path 6 from the left and right. Then the whole is constructed.

The intermittent feeding means 2 has a structure in which about 30 screw groups A are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the screws with their heads facing downward and vertically, that is, aligned in the same direction on the vertical line. 1 is composed of a first slide plate 3 and a second slide plate 4 which are attached by an electromagnetic actuator 5 so as to be able to move in and out in the left-right direction. The front end portions of the first and second slide plates 3 and 4 are thinly formed, and in particular, in the second slide plate 4, between the screw A1 at the lowermost end and the screw A2 immediately above the screw A1. It can be inserted.

The drop passage 6 of the screw A is formed by a pipe having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the screw A to be measured so that each screw can be fed downward along a vertical line without laying the screw sideways.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first light projecting element array 8 irradiates the entire axis of the falling screw A1 with the laser beam L1, so that the length of the first projecting element array 8 is at least longer than the length of the screw to be measured. , A plurality of light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes are arranged in a straight line,
It is arranged vertically so that it is parallel to. The first light receiving element array 9 has the same length as the first light projecting element array 8,
A large number of light receiving elements such as CCDs (electrically coupled elements) are arranged in a straight line and arranged vertically so as to face the first light projecting element row 8 in parallel and to be parallel to the drop passage 6. It is set up.

Further, since the second light projecting element array 10 irradiates the laser beam L2 to the entire diameter direction of the axis of the screw A that falls, it emits light so that it becomes at least longer than the maximum width of the screw to be measured. A large number of light projecting elements such as diodes are arranged in a straight line, and are arranged horizontally so as to be perpendicular to the falling passage 6. The second light receiving element array 11 is formed by arranging a large number of light receiving elements such as CCDs in a straight line so that the second light emitting element array 11 has the same length as the second light projecting element array 11. The falling passages 6 that face the element rows 10 in parallel
It is arranged horizontally so that it is perpendicular to.

Light emitting element rows 8 and 10 and light receiving element rows 9 and 1
Below 1 there is connected the distribution part 13 of the screw A.
The distribution unit 13 can switch a supply pipe 15 for a good product and a discharge pipe 16 for a defective product by a panel 14, for example.

The electromagnetic actuator 5, which slides the slide plates 3 and 4, the light emitting element arrays 8 and 10, the light receiving element arrays 9 and 11, and the distribution unit 13, are connected to a control unit 18.
Each is operated as described below. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), measurement will be described when a screw (M6 × 20 mm hexagon socket head cap screw) A having a predetermined length and having a thread is regarded as a good product.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the second slide plate 4 is pulled out from between the screw A1 and the screw A2, and the first slide plate 3 is inserted inside the drop passage 6, and the first slide plate 3 is inserted. The state in which the lowermost screw A1 is placed on the slide plate 3 is referred to as an initial state.

From this initial state, as shown in FIG. 1B, the controller 18 is operated to insert the second slide plate 4 between the screw A1 and the screw A2, and as shown in FIG. To
A laser beam L1 is emitted from the first light projecting element array 8 toward the first light receiving element array 9, and a laser beam L2 is emitted from the second light projecting element array 10 toward the second light receiving element array 11. . Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, the first slide plate 3 is pulled out from the screw A1, and the screw A1 at the lowermost end is naturally dropped along the drop passage 6 and conveyed downward.

This screw A1 is, as shown in FIG.
Then, the laser beams L1 and L2 emitted from the second light projecting element arrays 8 and 10 are blocked while falling toward the distribution unit 13. At this time, the first and second light receiving element rows 9 and 11
Receives the laser beams L1 and L2 leaking from above and below and from the left and right of the screw A1 that is falling.

The controller 18 arithmetically processes the signals from the first and second light emitting element arrays 8 and 10 and the first and second light receiving element arrays 9 and 11, and determines the total length of the screw A1 and the screw A1. The outer diameter (different type discrimination level) and whether or not a screw portion is formed on the dropped screw A1 are measured.

That is, when the screw A1 falls, the laser beam L1 leaking from the upper and lower ends of the screw A1 is
Light is received by the light emitting element array 8 and the amount of received light is calculated by the control unit 18, whereby the total length of the screw A1 is measured with high accuracy.

Further, when the screw A1 drops, the laser beam L2 leaking from the left end and the right end of the screw head is received by the second light projecting element array 10, and the amount of received light is calculated by the control unit 18. Is used to measure the maximum outer diameter of the screw A1, that is, the diameter of the head.

Further, when the screw A1 drops, the laser beam L2 leaking from the left end and the right end of the shaft portion is received by the second light projecting element array 10, and the amount of received light is calculated by the control unit 18. , Measure the outer diameter of the shaft and the presence or absence of screws.
At least half of the threads should be checked for the presence or absence of this screw.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a), (c) and (d), in the case of screws A, C and D having threads formed on the shaft, as shown in FIG. 3 (a). In addition, the amount of received light fluctuates in a wavy manner corresponding to the peaks and troughs of the shaft portion, and when the fluctuation amount is a predetermined value, the screw to be measured is determined to be the normal screw A1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the case of the screw B in which the shaft portion is not formed with a screw, FIG.
As shown in (1), the light receiving amount is maintained at a constant value, so that the product is determined to be defective.

Further, in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the vertical axis represents the photoreceiver output (V) of the received laser beam L, and the height of this voltage is proportional to the screw length, and the voltage is When the voltage is low, the total length of the screw to be measured is long as shown in (a) and (b) in FIG. 4, and when the voltage is high, the total length of the screw to be measured is shown in (c) and (d) in FIG. So short. Therefore, as shown in (c) and (d) of FIG.
Is judged to be a defective product because it does not reach the predetermined voltage.

In the present embodiment, the screw measuring operation described above is performed once per second, but the measuring time can be adjusted appropriately according to the type of screw to be detected.

As a result of the measurement, for example, when the screw A1 to be measured is judged to be a non-defective product, the panel 14 is tilted to the discharge pipe 16 side by the signal from the control unit 18, and the measured screw A1 is a non-defective product. Is taken out through the supply pipe 15.
When the measurement result shows that the screw A1 to be measured is a defective product, the panel 14 is notified by a signal from the control unit 18.
Is tilted to the side of the supply pipe 15, and this measured screw A1
Is discharged through the discharge pipe 16 for defective products.

As described above, according to the present invention, the screws A at the lowermost end are naturally dropped one by one into the drop passage 6 in spite of having an extremely simple structure, and the falling screw A1 is laser beam L1 from the vertical and horizontal directions. By irradiating L2 and calculating the variation in the amount of received light, the presence / absence of a screw portion and the determination of similar products can be determined.
It can be done instantly and reliably.

During the measurement of this screw A1, the control unit 18
The electromagnetic actuator 5 is operated so that the first slide plate 3 is inserted inside the drop passage 6 and the second slide plate 4 is pulled out from the drop passage 6. Then, it is returned to the initial state shown in FIG. 1A again, and then the screw A2 located at the lowermost end is measured as described above.

By repeating the insertion / removal timings of the slide plates 3 and 4 in this manner, 30 screws A
... are measured one by one in order from the bottom.

In particular, since the present embodiment is small, it can be easily incorporated inline and defective products can be removed easily and quickly. Therefore, defective products or different types will not be mixed in a specific type of screw and will not flow to the subsequent process.
Trouble occurrence and loss can be prevented in advance.

[0034]

According to the present invention, while the overall structure is extremely small and inexpensive, the screws dropped one by one by the intermittent supply means can be formed by two sets of the light emitting element and the light receiving element. The presence / absence, the diameter, and the quality of the entire length can be automatically determined at high speed and reliably without contacting the screw.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the present embodiment, in which (a) shows an initial state of a measurement process, (b) shows a state where a second slide plate is operated, and (c) shows a measurement state.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a measurement state by a light projecting element array and a light receiving element array.

FIG. 3 shows voltage fluctuations during measurement, where the vertical axis represents voltage and the horizontal axis represents time. (A) shows a case with a screw and (b) shows a case without a screw.

4A and 4B are perspective views of a screw to be measured according to the present invention, where FIG. 4A is a normal screw, FIG. 4B is a screw without a screw portion, FIG. ) Indicates screws with different diameters.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Screw Discriminating Device 2 Intermittent Supply Means 6 Drop Path 8 First Light-Emitting Element Array 9 First Light-Receiving Element Array 10 Second Light-Emitting Element Array 11 Second Light-Receiving Element Array A, B, C, D Screws

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A screw drop passage having a diameter slightly larger than that of a screw to be measured and arranged along a vertical line, and intermittent supply means for supplying one screw to the upper end of the drop passage. A first light projecting element row and a first light receiving element row arranged on both sides of the drop passage in parallel with the drop passage, and a second light emitting element row arranged on both sides of the drop passage perpendicular to the drop passage. And a second light receiving element row.