JPH08164354A - Coating width inspection apparatus for high-viscosity coating material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To surely inspect the adequateness or inadequateness of the coating width of a high-viscosity coating material without erroneous recognition. CONSTITUTION: A light source 2 and a photodetecting section 3 are arranged apart from each other and a light shielding member 4 is disposed therebetween. The light source 2, the photodetecting section 3 and the light shielding member 4 are disposed in such positional relations that these parts are included in a light shielding area (shown by hatching) formed with at least the peak part 1a of the surface of the coating material 1 behind the light shielding member 4 and the boundary apart 5a from at least the coating material 1 of the coating surface 5 is included in the area to be projected with the light from the light source 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting a coating width of a high-viscosity coating agent, such as an adhesive agent, which is applied in a raised state on a coating surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacturing process of automobiles, an adhesive agent (sealer) is used for assembling plate-shaped parts and other parts.
May be used. This sealer is applied in a strip shape to either or both of the parts to be adhered, but the application width of the sealer may become narrower than the reference value due to an abnormality in the application device or a change in the viscosity of the sealer. There is. If such a situation is left as it is, various problems such as insufficient strength and airtightness will be caused after the bonding of the two parts. Therefore, it is sequentially checked whether or not the coating width of the sealer is kept above the specified value after coating. There is a need to.

For such a purpose, the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 4 has been conventionally used. In this device, a sensor (20) integrally having a light source and a light receiving unit is arranged above a coating surface (21), and the sensor (20) is attached to a sealer (22).
It is slidable along the coating direction, and the slit-shaped inspection light (eg infrared light) is emitted from the light source to the sealer (22) coated from the sealer nozzle (23) along the direction orthogonal to the coating direction. The light is irradiated and reflected by the sealer (22) and the coating surface (21) on both sides thereof is received by the light receiving section, and the coating width is detected from the brightness of the waveform.

That is, since the inspection light reaching the coating surface (21) is directly reflected upward and received by the light receiving portion, the amount of light received by the light receiving portion also increases, but the inspection light reaching the sealer (22) increases. Is diffusely reflected in various directions on its surface, so that only a part of the light is received by the light receiving portion, and the amount of light received by the light receiving portion is reduced. Therefore, the waveform of the reflected light detected by the light receiving part is, as shown in FIG. 5, a dark part (24) corresponding to the sealer (22).
And the two bright parts (25) corresponding to the coating surface (21).

Here, if the slice level (S) is set at an appropriate light receiving level and the distance (t) between the intersections of the waveform and the slice level (S) is sequentially managed, coating failure can be immediately detected. It will be possible. That is, if the coating width of the sealer (22) becomes narrower, the distance (t) between the intersections correspondingly becomes shorter, so that it is recognized as coating failure when the distance (t) becomes equal to or less than the reference value.

[0006]

However, since the sealer applied has a semi-circular cross-section, the sealer shown in FIG.
As shown in (4), the inspection light applied to the top portion (22a) is not diffused but reflected upward as it is. Therefore, the waveform actually detected by the light receiving portion has a bright portion (26) protruding in the central portion as shown in FIG. 7, and the light receiving level of the protruding bright portion (26) may vary depending on the location. It may reach the same level as the received light level at.

In such a case, since the number of intersections between the slice level (S) and the waveform increases, it is not possible to judge the suitability of the coating width and it is unavoidable to treat it as a coating failure. Therefore, in spite of the fact that the proper coating width is actually secured, there is a problem in that a defective signal is sent to stop the line from being unnecessarily spent and an unnecessary time is spent for inspection and the like.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of surely inspecting whether or not the coating width of a high-viscosity coating agent is appropriate.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the apparatus of the present invention irradiates a high-viscosity coating agent coated in a raised state on the coating surface with a test light from a light source, and the surface of the coating agent and its coating. A light receiving section receives reflected light reflected on both sides of the coating surface and inspects the suitability of the coating width from the light and darkness thereof. The light source and the light receiving section are spaced apart from each other, and a light shielding member is provided between them. , The light source, the light receiving portion and the light blocking member,

On the inspection area of the light receiving portion, at least the top of the surface of the coating agent is included in the light shielding area formed behind the light shielding member, and also on the inspection area of the light receiving portion, at least the coating agent on both coating surfaces is applied. The boundary area between and is included in the area projected from the light source.

It is arranged in such a positional relationship.

[0012]

In the inspection area of the light receiving portion, if at least the top of the surface of the coating agent is included in the light shielding area formed behind the light shielding member, the inspection light does not reach the top of the surface of the coating agent and the reflected light Since the light does not enter the light receiving portion, the light receiving portion recognizes this portion as a dark portion. On the other hand, on the inspection area, if at least the boundary between the coating surface and the coating agent is included in the projection area from the light source, the inspection light reaching the boundary is reflected and received by the light receiving unit. Therefore, the light receiving unit recognizes this portion as the bright portion. Therefore, the reflected light waveform recognized by the light receiving portion has a shape having a dark portion between two bright portions, and a bright portion is not locally formed in the center of the dark portion.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating width inspection apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a light source (2) and a light receiving section (3) which are spaced apart in the coating direction of a sealer (1), and between them. And a thin plate-shaped light shielding member (4). The light-shielding member (4) is vertically installed with its lower end separated from the coating surface (5) upward.

The light source (2) emits inspection light such as infrared rays as diffused light, and is arranged aiming at the vicinity of the lower end of the light shielding member (4). Since a part of the inspection light emitted from the light source (2) is blocked by the light blocking member (4),
In a certain area behind the light blocking member (4), a light blocking area (indicated by hatching) where the inspection light does not reach is formed. On the other hand, of the inspection light, the inspection light that has passed through the gap between the light blocking member (4) and the coating surface (5) forms a light projection area behind the light blocking member (4).

The light receiving portion (3) is composed of an optical sensor or the like capable of detecting infrared rays, and is arranged with the light receiving surface (3a) facing downward and the lower end portion inclined to the light source (2) side. The inspection area (7) of the light receiving section (3) has a slit shape in a direction orthogonal to the coating direction of the sealer (1), extends obliquely, and slightly rearward (from the light source) below the light shielding member (4). It intersects with the coating surface (5) in the direction of separation. A shield plate (8) is mounted on the light-receiving surface (3a) of the light-receiving surface (3a) behind the inspection area (7) to limit the incidence of external light and improve the detection accuracy. .

The light source (2), the light receiving portion (3) and the light shielding member (4) described above are arranged so as to satisfy the following conditions. That is, on the inspection area (7) of the light receiving part (3), at least the top part (1a) of the surface of the sealer (1) is included in the light shielding area of the light shielding member (4), and on the inspection area (7). , The coating surface (5) must have a positional relationship such that at least the boundary portion (5a) with the sealer (1) is included in the light projection area.

FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are plan views showing the limits that satisfy the above conditions. In FIG. 2 (a), all the surfaces of the sealer (1) on the inspection area (7) are shaded areas. FIG. 7B shows a case where only the top part (1a) of the surface of the sealer (1) on the inspection area (7) is included in the light-shielded area. Therefore, the boundary line (B) between the shaded area and the projected area is
It must be formed between the area shown in (a) and the area shown in (b).

Although FIG. 2 exemplifies a case where all the coating surfaces (5) on the inspection area (7) are included in the projection area, as described in the above condition, all coatings are not necessarily coated. The surface (5) does not need to be included in the projection area, and it is sufficient if at least the boundary portion (5a) of the coating surface (5) is included in the projection area. Therefore, the other coated surface (5) excluding the boundary part (5a)
May be included in the light-shielded area.

The light source (2), the light receiving portion (3) and the light blocking member (4) are integrally slidable along the coating direction of the sealer (1) while maintaining their positional relationship. This makes it possible to continuously inspect the coating width along the coating direction of the sealer (1).

As described above, in the device of the present invention, at least the top portion (1a) of the sealer (1) is included in the light-shielding area on the inspection area (7), so that the inspection light is not reflected at the top portion (1a), The reflected light from this part does not enter the light receiving part (3). On the other hand, since at least both boundary portions (5a) of the coating surface (5) on the inspection area (7) are included in the projection area, the inspection light is reflected by the boundary portion (5a) and the light receiving unit (3). ) Is received. Therefore, the waveform of the reflected light recognized by the light receiving section (3) has a shape having a dark section (10) between two bright sections (9) as shown in FIG. ) There is no local bright part. Therefore, similarly to the conventional apparatus, if the slice level (S) is set at an appropriate light receiving level and the distance (t) between the intersections of the waveform and the slice level (S) is sequentially managed, the appropriateness of the coating width is mistakenly recognized. It can be detected immediately without.

In the above description, the case where the coating width of the sealer (1) is inspected has been described, but the device of the present invention is not limited to the sealer, and can be applied to other high-viscosity coating agents such as sealing agents. Is applicable to. Here, the high-viscosity coating agent refers to an agent that is highly viscous and maintains a state in which the coating agent does not spread thinly on the coating surface (5) immediately after coating and rises in a substantially semicircular cross section for a certain period of time.

Further, the waveform of FIG. 3 is obtained when the entire surface of the sealer (1) is included in the light-shielding area and all the coating surfaces (5) on the inspection area (7) are included in the light-emitting area. (Fig. 2 (a)
(See reference), the actual waveform is not limited to this,
It can take various shapes.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, a local bright portion is not formed in a portion (dark portion) corresponding to the coating agent in the reflected light waveform recognized by the light receiving portion. Therefore, by setting the slice level at an appropriate light receiving level and sequentially managing the distance between the intersections of the waveform and the slice level, it is possible to reliably determine the suitability of the coating width of the coating agent without misjudging.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a side view of the device of the present invention,
The figure (b) is also a plan view.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a region where a light-shielding region and a light-projecting region can be formed.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a coating material corresponding to a reflected light waveform.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a coating material corresponding to a reflected light waveform.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing reflected light reflected by a coating material and a coating surface.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reflected light waveform of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 High-viscosity coating agent (sealer) 1a Top 2 Light source 3 Light receiving section 4 Light-shielding plate 5 Coating surface 5a Border area 7 Inspection area

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A high-viscosity coating agent applied in a raised state on the coating surface is irradiated with inspection light from a light source, and reflected light reflected by the surface of the coating agent and the coating surfaces on both sides thereof is received by a light receiving section. The lightness and darkness are inspected for suitability of the coating width, and the light source and the light receiving part are spaced apart and a light shielding member is provided between them, and the light source, the light receiving part and the light shielding member are placed on the inspection area of the light receiving part. In, the positional relationship is such that at least the top of the surface of the coating agent is included in the light-shielding area formed behind the light-shielding member, and at least the boundary between the coating surface and the coating agent is included in the area projected from the light source. An apparatus for inspecting a coating width of a high-viscosity coating agent, which is characterized in that