JPS62250343A - Cylinder surface image sensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate an appearance quality test by moving a cylindrical object for a prescribed distance, sequentially storing the sectional slice images of a cylindrical surface reflected on a conical mirror in a storage device and obtaining a picture image data of a two-dimensional image indicative of the cylindrical surface that is a three-dimensional image. CONSTITUTION:A cylindrical cigarette is moved in an axial direction by a moving mechanism 3. The moved cigarette has been inserted through a hole 4a formed in the top of a conical mirror 4 from the reverse side of its mirror surface. A circular camera 5 is provided as opposed to the mirror surface of the mirror 4. The camera 5 picks up the image of a ring-shaped image reflected in a ring-shaped mirror surface portion coaxial with the hole 4a and outputs the analog video signals of the ring-shaped image. After every termination of an image pickup, a pulse motor 3d drives the moving mechanism 3 to move the cigarette in a prescribed axial direction and the analog video signals are converted (12c) to digital video signals to be stored in an image memory 12e.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary of the Invention] A cylindrical article is inserted into a hole at the top of a conical mirror from the back side of the mirror surface, and the cylindrical surface image of the cylindrical article reflected on the conical mirror has a ring shape identical to the hole. The part is imaged by an imaging means to obtain an analog video signal of a sliced image of the cylindrical surface, and this analog video signal is converted into a digital video signal and stored in an image memory. By repeatedly inserting a predetermined amount into the hole of the cylindrical article on the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical article, image data representing a three-dimensional image of the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical article as a two-dimensional image is obtained.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a cylindrical surface imaging device, and more particularly to a cylindrical surface imaging device for imaging a cylindrical surface of a cylindrical article such as a cigarette, and
The present invention relates to an imaging device used to obtain image data representing a cylindrical surface as a two-dimensional image.

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention]

To make a cigarette, cut tobacco whose layer thickness has been adjusted by trimming is supplied onto a wrapping paper, wrapped in the wrapping paper, and then glued. It is made through various steps including cutting to length and attaching the filter tip.

At each step, the tools and equipment are adjusted to ensure that the work is carried out reliably. If this adjustment is not done properly, problems such as stains on the surface of the product cigarette, holes in the cigarette paper, and peeling of the glued part may occur, so please do not adjust it properly. In this case, it is necessary to inspect the appearance quality of the product cigarettes.

Conventionally, this inspection was performed by human eyes, but in the case of visual inspection, although some standards have been established, there are individual differences in judgment, and even in one individual, judgment changes from inspection to inspection. Therefore, there was a problem in that it was difficult to manufacture cigarettes while keeping the appearance quality constant.

These problems can be solved by obtaining a three-dimensional image of the cylindrical surface of a cigarette as two-dimensional image data, and processing this data to automatically judge the appearance quality of the cigarette based on certain standards. However, conventionally, there has been no imaging device useful for capturing a three-dimensional image of the cylindrical surface of a cylindrical article to obtain two-dimensional image data.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cylindrical surface imaging device capable of capturing a three-dimensional image of the cylindrical surface of a cylindrical article to obtain image data of a two-dimensional image. .

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the cylindrical surface imaging device according to the present invention includes a moving mechanism that moves a cylindrical article in its axial direction, and a cylindrical object that is moved by the moving mechanism and is inserted from the back side of a mirror surface. A conical mirror having a hole at the top, a ring-shaped image projected on a ring-shaped mirror surface portion facing the mirror surface of the conical mirror and concentric with the hole, and outputting an analog video signal of the ring-shaped image. means and
a drive source that drives the moving mechanism to move the cylindrical article by a predetermined amount in the axial direction each time the imaging means finishes capturing a ring-shaped image; and a drive source that converts an analog video signal from the imaging means into a digital video signal. It is characterized by comprising an image storage means for storing images.

[For production]

Since the imaging means images only the ring-shaped part of the image reflected on the mirror surface of the conical mirror and outputs an analog video signal, the insertion of the cylindrical object into the hole of the conical mirror is given by a predetermined amount. By doing this, the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical article is converted into an analog video signal, and by converting the analog video signal into a digital video signal and storing it in the image storage means, a two-dimensional image representing the cylindrical surface, which is a three-dimensional image, is generated. Image data is obtained.

〔Example〕

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below regarding a cylindrical surface imaging device that obtains two-dimensional image data of a cylindrical surface in order to inspect the appearance of cigarettes.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a side view and a plan view showing the appearance of the imaging section of the cylindrical surface imaging device. In the figure, ■ is the base,
2 is a sample stage provided at the center of the base l. Sample stand 2
The base 1 has a cigarette placement portion 2a along the longitudinal X-axis on which a sample cigarette, which is a cylindrical article, is placed. The sample stage 2 is moved in the y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis and along the surface of the base 1 by rotating the micrometer head 2b, and perpendicular to the surface of the base 1 by rotating the coarse movement handle 2c and the fine movement handle 2d. are moved in the x-axis direction,
The position of the cigarette on the cigarette placement section 2a is adjusted.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a cigarette moving mechanism that moves the cigarettes placed on the cigarette placing section 2a to the imaging position, and the moving mechanism 3 has a pair of attachments attached to the base 1.
, a pair of rail shirts supported between 3a and 3b
, 3b, which is movably guided in the x-axis direction. On the moving stage 3G,
A feed screw 3f connected via a coupling 3e is screwed to a pulse motor 3d mounted on the base 1, and when the feed screw 3f is rotated by the pulse motor 3d, the moving stage 3C is moved to the rail. shaft 3b,
3b and is moved in the X-axis direction.

The moving stage 3C has a suction pipe 3h supported in a cantilever manner by a pipe stand 3g above the moving stage 3C so that its longitudinal axis coincides with the axial direction of the cigarette on the cigarette placement section 2a. One end of the suction pipe 3h is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), and the middle part is connected to the relay post 31 on the base 1.
The other end of a flexible hose 3j supported by is connected on a pipe stand 3g.

As described above, the moving stage 3C is moved forward by the rotation of the pulse motor 3d, and when the end of the suction pipe 3h hits the end surface of the cigarette on the cigarette placement section 2a, the cigarette is attracted to the end of the suction pipe 3h. Ru. Therefore, even if the moving stage 3C is moved further forward from this state and the cigarette is pushed by the suction pipe 3h and comes off the cigarette placement section 2a, the cigarette will not fall.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a conical mirror having a hole 4a in the center, and the conical mirror 4 is attached to the base 1 in such a direction that a cigarette pushed by the forward movement of the moving stage 3C is inserted into the hole 4a from the back side of the mirror surface. It is supported by the upper mirror 4b. The conical mirror 4 is supported on the mirror unit 4b by being embedded in a mirror frame 4c on the mirror unit 4b and being pressed by a spring-loaded screw 4d via a presser plate 4e. With the above configuration, the mirror surface of the conical mirror 4 has
An image of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette inserted into the hole 4a is projected.

5 is a circular camera, and a micrometer head 5
a, a camera stand 5e provided on the base 1 so as to be moved in the "p'lpz axis direction by rotational operations of the micrometer head 5b, the coarse movement handle 5C, and the fine movement handle 5d;
It is attached to via a mounting plate 5f. As the circular camera 5, for example, a linear scanning camera sold by Texas Instruments under the trade name "RETICON" can be used. As shown in FIG.
The diode array 5a has a width W in which photodiodes are arranged, and the diode array 5a faces a circle 4 through a lens (not shown), and is positioned so that their centers coincide.

In the above configuration, by focusing the lens on the mirror surface of the circle 4, the light reflected by the ring-shaped part concentric with the hole 4a on the conical mirror 4 is incident on the diode array 5a. Possibly conical mirror 4
A cross-section image of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette displayed on the screen is input.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a light source device for illuminating the cigarette inserted into the hole 4a of the conical mirror 4, and is composed of a plurality of light bulbs 6a, 6a and an outer hood 6b that prevents light leakage to the outside so as not to interfere with imaging. It is attached to the front of the circular camera 5. The light bulbs 6a, 6a are lit in sufficient numbers to uniformly illuminate the cylindrical surface of the cigarette, and are powered by a DC constant voltage/current power source so that the illuminance is uniform.

Note that 7 is a cover that prevents external light from entering the circular camera 5, and forms a cavity between the conical mirror 4 and the light source device 6.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical circuitry of the cylindrical surface imaging device according to the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a circuit of the above-mentioned imaging section, and includes a circular camera 5, a pulse motor 3d, a pulse driver fOa that drives the pulse motor 3d, and a pulse generator 10b.

The electric circuit configuration of the circular camera 5 is as shown in FIG. 5. In addition to the diode array 5a, there is a scanning circuit 51 that scans each photodiode of the diode array 5a, and a start pulse that starts scanning by the scanning circuit 51. It has a start pulse generation circuit 52 that generates. When the start pulse generating circuit 52 receives an internal or external operation ON signal selected by the gate 53, the frequency distortion circuit 51 set by the adjusting means 52a is selected by the gate 53 input to the circuit. Scanning is performed based on the clock pulse CK (FIG. 6(a)), and each diode of the diode array 5a is sequentially connected to one video output line. As a result, the diode array 5a serially outputs an analog video signal AVS consisting of a signal having a level corresponding to the intensity of light incident on each diode. The scanning circuit 51 also outputs an enable signal EN (FIG. 6(C)) which rises when the first diode scan is started in response to the start pulse SP and falls when the last diode scan ends. The analog video signal AVS and enable signal EN output from the circular camera 5 are input to the image memory 12.

The circuit configuration of the image memory 12 is shown in FIG. 7, and the analog video signal AV from the circular camera is
S is input to the amplifier 12a, and a start signal ST from the controller and an enable signal EN from the circular camera are input to the interface 12b. When the start signal ST is input, the interface 12b assumes that the analog video signal input to the amplifier 12a is valid when the enable signal EN is at H level, and outputs the internal sample clock SCK and memory clock MCK. The signal is output and applied to an analog-digital (A-D) conversion circuit 12c and a 1-line memory 12d, respectively. The interface 12b also outputs an address clock ACK, and the memory address control 12f
to be applied.

Memory address control 12f is a start signal ST
is input, read/write from the interface.
It receives the write signal R/W, and in response to the application of the address clock ACK, outputs an address that sequentially specifies the storage position in the image memory section 12e where the storage contents of the 1-line memory 12d are to be stored 512 times; The contents of the line memory are sequentially stored in the image memory. When writing is completed, the read/write signal R/ from the interface is sent.
W receives and accepts reads, and outputs an address specifying a storage location to be read from the image memory section 12e in response to application of the address clock ACK.

Note that the l-line memory 12d has a storage capacity of 512 samples, and the image memory section 12e has a storage capacity of 512 x 512 samples.
Each has a storage capacity of .

In the above configuration, the amplifier 12a includes the adjustment means 12g,
The analog video signal AVS is amplified with the level and contrast set by adjusting I2h, and is output to the A-D conversion circuit 12c.

The analog video signal AVS input to the A-D converter circuit 12c is sampled by the sample clock SCK from the interface 12b, converted into 8-bit digital data, and applied to the 1-line memory 12d. The digital video signal DVS, which is converted into 8-bit digital data at the sample point and input to the 1-line memory 12d, is stored in parallel by the memory clock MCK from the interface 12b.

When the enable signal EN input to the interface 12b changes from H to L level, that is, when the scanning of the diode array 5a of the circular camera 5 is completed, the 1-line memo 'J 12 d indicates that the image is captured by the circular camera 5. All the data of the sliced cigarette images are sequentially stored in a predetermined position of the image memory section 12e.

After the writing is completed, the image data stored in the image memory section 12e is sequentially read out by read input of a read/write signal R/W from the interface. A digital video signal read from the image memory section 12e is converted into an analog video signal AVS by a digital-to-analog (D-A) conversion circuit 12i, and a synchronization signal generated by a synchronization generation circuit 12j is applied to the analog video signal AVS by an amplifier 12k. superimposed on monitor TV16
Output to. The monitor 'rv16 displays the image as a two-dimensional image because it covers the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette, which is a three-dimensional image.

The output of the DA conversion circuit 12t is connected to the image processing circuit 18. The image processing circuit 18 inspects the appearance quality of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette based on the DA-converted analog video signal, and performs image processing to determine the quality of the cigarette.

Note that the image data in the image memory 12 can be outputted via an R3-232C serial data interface (not shown) for processing by an external computer, for example.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a controller composed of, for example, a microcomputer, which controls the circuit 10 of the TI image section, the image memory 12, etc., and executes a predetermined program to obtain image data about the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette. Perform work according to the following. The controller 20 includes an operation section 22 consisting of, for example, a keyboard, and a moving stage 3C.
Limit switches 24a and 24b that detect the forward and backward positions of
is connected.

When the controller 20 is powered on, it initializes and starts working according to the program. First, display data for displaying a menu on the monitor TV 23 is output to the output CRT. When the operator looks at the menu display and instructs a start by operating a key on the operation unit 22, the controller 20 operates the pulse motor 3d to return the moving stage 3C to the start reference point, so the controller 20 sends the position data DATA and the direction instruction signal. DS is applied to the pulse generator 10b together with the set signal SS. Pulse generator 10
When b receives the signal, it notifies the controller 20 with the ready signal R3, and also sends the pulse driver 1
A rotation direction instruction signal and a pulse are sent to 0a to rotate the pulse motor 3d in a predetermined direction. This rotation of the pulse motor 3d rotates the feed screw 3f in the direction in which the moving stage 3C retreats.

When the moving stage 3C is returned to the starting reference point, the limit switch 24b is turned on, and in response, the controller 20 stops the rotation of the pulse motor 3d, and
A signal is sent to the monitor TV 23 to display a display for the operator to hear the length of the cigarette. When the operator inputs the length of the cigarette using the numerical keys on the operation unit 22, the controller 20 calculates the amount of movement of the moving stage 3c in one movement and the amount of movement of the moving stage 3c so as to divide the entire length of the cigarette into 512 sliced images. In addition to calculating the speed, the point in time at which the analog video signal from the circular camera 5 should be accepted by the image memory 12 is calculated. The data obtained through this calculation is stored in the work area of the RAM included in the controller 20.

Thereafter, the controller 20 inquires of the operator via the monitor TV 23 whether or not the cigarette has been placed on the placing section 2a. When the operator inputs YES through the operation unit 22, a signal to open the solenoid valve 26 is output, and the suction vibrator 3
The end face of the cigarette on the mounting portion 2a is attracted to the end face of the cigarette on the mounting portion 2a to support the cigarette in a cantilevered manner. Next, the pulse generator ta
Set the movement amount, speed, and start data DATA calculated by the controller to b. Signal SS and direction indication signal D.
Send with S. In response, the pulse generator 10b sends pulses corresponding to the rotation direction signal and speed data to the pulse driver 10a by the amount of movement, thereby rotating the pulse motor 3d. Due to the rotation of this pulse motor 3d, the moving stage 3c
is moved at a predetermined speed, and the cigarette supported in a cantilever by the suction vibrator 3h is inserted into the hole 4a of the conical mirror 4 from the back side in the axial direction.

After sending the start data DATA, the controller 20 sends the start signal ST to the image memory 12 when the analog video signal from the circular camera 5 is received by the image memory 12 at the calculated time point. At this point, the surface of the tip of the cigarette inserted into the hole 4a of the conical mirror 4 is imaged on the ring-shaped imaging portion by the circular camera 5.

The start signal ST puts the image memory 12 in a writing standby state and the enable signal E from the circular camera 5.
-h
The data output from the diode array 5a is stored in the image memory 12.

In this way, the analog video signal AVS and enable signal EN from the circular camera 5 are sent to the image memory 12 together with the clock pulse CK.

In the image memory 12, the interface 12b performs 72 operations based on the enable signal EN and the start signal ST.
A sample blocker SCK for sampling the analog video signal AVS obtained by 0 photodiodes 512 times is generated, and this is sent to the A-Di conversion circuit 12c.
to be applied. The A-D conversion circuit 12c samples the analog video signal AVS using the sample clock SCK, and converts it into an 8-bit (256th floor) digital video signal D.
Convert to VS.

The interface 12b also generates a memory clock MCK and applies it to the 1-line memory 12d. (2) The line memory 12d sequentially shifts and stores the 8-bit digital video signal DvS from the AD conversion circuit 12c based on the memory clock MCK.

The interface 12b further generates an internal clock address clock ACK using the enable signal EN, and applies this to the memory address control 12f. In response, the °C memory address control 12f specifies the address of the image memory 12e, and
The contents of 2d are transferred to and stored in the image memory section 126.

As described above, in the image memory 12, the analog video signal AVS from the circular camera 5 is converted into a digital video signal DVS and then stored in the image memory section 12e. As the stage 3C moves, the next sliced image of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette is incident on the diode array 5a of the circular camera 5, and the circular camera 5 outputs an analog video signal AVS. This analog video signal AVS is converted into a digital video signal DVS in the same manner as described above and is stored in the next address position of the image memory section 128.

By sequentially repeating the above operations, the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette, which is a three-dimensional image, is stored in the image memory section 12e as image data of a two-dimensional image.

When image data is obtained for the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette, the moving stage 3c moves by a predetermined amount or to the most advanced position, and when the limit 24a is turned on, the controller 20 starts the electromagnetic Close valve 26. When the electromagnetic valve 26 is closed, the suction force exerted by the suction pipe 3h is lost, and the cigarette falls. The pulse generator 10b sends a pulse to move the movable stage 3C backward, rotates the pulse motor 3d in the opposite direction, and returns the movable stage 3c to the starting reference point. After the stage 3c returns to the reference point, the process returns to the above-mentioned first menu and waits for the next cigarette to be placed on the placement section 2a.

The image data in the image memory section 12e is sequentially read out by setting the read/write signal R/W to read through the interface 12b after the writing to the image memory section 2 is completed, and by giving the address clock ACK to the memory address control 12f. It will be done. The read digital video signal 12.1 DVS is superimposed with the DA conversion circuit 1 IJI signal and sent to the monitor TV 16. The image about the circumference is displayed as a two-dimensional image.

Further, the analog video signal AVS obtained by conversion by the DA converter circuit-1 is sent to the image processing circuit 18. In the image processing circuit 18, the image data of the cylindrical surface is processed and used for determining the appearance quality of the cigarette.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, by moving the cylindrical article by a predetermined amount and sequentially storing sliced images of the cylindrical surface reflected on the conical mirror in the storage means, the cylindrical article is a three-dimensional image. Since image data of a two-dimensional image representing the cylindrical surface can be obtained, it can be used to inspect the appearance quality by automatically determining the condition of the cylindrical surface based on the image data.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are an external side view and a plan view of an imaging unit showing an embodiment of an imaging device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a diode array of a circular camera, and FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Block diagram showing the electric circuit configuration of the imaging device, No. 5
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the circular camera, FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram showing waveforms of each part of the circular camera, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image memory. 2a... Cigarette mounting section, 3... Cigarette moving mechanism, 3d... Pulse motor, 4... Conical mirror,
4a...hole, 5...circular camera, 5a...
Diode array, 12... image memory. Figure 5 (Q) CK plate-1---------listening------
-1121-----tb) SP Jl-w-1, month L
Engineering.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A moving mechanism for moving a cylindrical article in its axial direction; a conical mirror having a hole at the top into which the cylindrical article moved by the moving mechanism is inserted from the back side of the mirror surface; and the conical mirror. imaging means for capturing a ring-shaped image projected on a ring-shaped mirror surface portion facing the mirror surface and concentric with the hole, and outputting an analog video signal of the ring-shaped image; and completion of imaging of the ring-shaped image by the imaging means. a drive source that drives the moving mechanism and moves the cylindrical article by a predetermined amount in the axial direction; and an image storage unit that converts an analog video signal from the imaging unit into a digital video signal and stores the digital video signal. Characteristic cylindrical surface imaging device.