KR20220044403A - Conveying control system and conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a carrying control system capable of avoiding a carrying failure or a detection failure due to the overlapping of forward and backward carrying objects, and a carrying apparatus using the same. The carrying control system (10) includes: image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) repetitively acquiring an image of a measurement area (ME) on a carrying channel (121) in which a carrying object (CA), through a photographing operation of an imaging means (130CM); carrying object possession range determination means (MPU, RAM) detecting a consecutive-possession range (121CT), which is a range in which possession areas of the carrying object on the carrying channel are consecutive, or a range in which the corresponding possession areas are adjacent to each other at a shorter distance than a predetermined distance, with respect to the inside of the measurement area, and determining whether the consecutive-possession range is small or large, based on a unit possession range (121U) corresponding to the one single carrying object; and a carrying object control means (OP), when the consecutive-possession range satisfies conditions of a dishonest determination based on the unit possession range, controlling a carrying state of at least one carrying object (CA) placed in the consecutive-possession range.

Description

CONVEYING CONTROL SYSTEM AND CONVEYING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a conveying control system and conveying apparatus, and is particularly suitable when used in a vibratory conveying apparatus, and is particularly effective conveying control technology when a conveyed material moving on a conveyance path is supplied to multiple suppliers. is about

In general, in a conveying apparatus for conveying fine conveyed materials such as surface-mounted electronic components, the fine conveyed material is raised along a track by a rotary vibrating conveyer having a spiral conveying path called a bowl-type parts feeder, and eventually a linear type It is configured so that the conveyed object is positioned by a linear vibrating conveyer having a linear conveying path called a parts feeder, and supplied to a supplier, such as a parts inspection device, a component mounting device, a transfer robot, and the like.

In the conveying apparatus as described above, in recent years, conveyed objects are miniaturized, and it is required to supply a large amount of electronic components of a private level. In addition, such fine electronic components are extremely thin, on the order of several tens of microns, and when such a thin conveyed material is to be conveyed in a large amount, the conveyed materials easily overlap and are difficult to align, so that it is difficult to convey efficiently. As a conventional conveying system corresponding to a comparatively large and thin conveyed object, what was shown in the following patent documents 1 and 2 is known.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-113350 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-158524

However, in the apparatus described in the prior art documents 1 and 2, the conveyed material is relatively large and the thickness is also thicker than that of the recent conveyed material. was responding However, since it is difficult to deal with the miniaturized ones like the above-mentioned transported objects in recent years, there is a problem that the transported substances are clogged or that it becomes difficult to detect the overlapping state of the transported substances by a sensor.

Further, in the prior art, by providing a cover on the conveying path at the distal end for discharging the conveyed material toward the supplier, a culvert structure having a passage cross-section adapted to the shape of the conveyed material is formed, and conveyed items overlap each other or have different postures. In some cases, the conveyed material is not supplied. However, even in such a case, there is a problem that the conveyed material is easily clogged in the culvert structure by reducing the thickness along with the miniaturization of the conveyed material, making it difficult to maintain a stable conveyed state.

In the case of the above-mentioned problem, especially in the case of a vibratory conveying apparatus, since conveyed material moves while moving up and down on a conveyance path by vibration, there exists a situation that it is extremely difficult to prevent clogging and detect overlap on a conveyance path.

Then, the present invention solves the above problems, and its object is to provide a conveyance control system capable of avoiding conveyance defects such as blockage of conveyed objects or defective detection of overlapping conditions of conveyed objects before and after, and a conveying apparatus using the same. .

In view of this situation, the conveyance control system according to the present invention repeatedly acquires an image of the measurement area ME on the conveyance path 121 through which the conveyed material CA is conveyed by imaging of the imaging means 130CM. A range in which the image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) and the area occupied by the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 in the measurement area ME are integrally continuous, or the area occupied is predetermined The continuous occupation range 121CT, which is a continuous range with an interval less than the value, is detected, and the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT is determined based on the unit occupation range 121U corresponding to one conveyed product CA. When the conveyed article occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) for judging and the continuous occupation range 121CT satisfies the conditions of an illegal determination based on the unit occupation range 121U, the continuous occupation range 121CT and a conveyed material control means OP for controlling a conveying state of at least one conveyed product CA disposed therein.

According to the present invention, the size of the continuous occupation range by the conveyed material on the conveyance path is determined based on the unit occupation range. For example, when the size of the continuous occupation range exceeds the unit occupation range, the In this case, there is a high possibility that two or more conveyed objects overlap each other, and in the continuous occupation range, a plurality of occupied areas each having an interval of less than a predetermined value are included, and if the total size exceeds the unit occupation range, the next The probability that the conveyed materials of For this reason, when the possibility of the overlapping state of the above conveyed objects is high or the probability of overlapping with each other is high, by controlling at least one conveyed material disposed within the continuous occupancy range, overlapping conveyed products or conveyed products with a high probability of overlapping with each other are conveyed It becomes possible to remove it from the furnace phase. In addition, since the conveyed material occupancy range determining means only needs to determine the size of the continuous occupation range of conveyed objects on the conveyance path based on the unit occupation range, there is no need to detect the overlap between conveyed objects as in the prior art. Even if it is a conveyed object or a thin conveyed object, the possibility and probability of overlapping of conveyed objects can be discriminated easily and reliably. In particular, in the case of a vibratory conveying device, the conveyed material is conveyed while moving up and down on the conveying path, but since the range occupied by the conveyed material on the conveying path itself is hardly affected by the vertical movement, a decrease in detection accuracy due to the vibration of the conveyed material can be avoided. there is.

In the present invention, the conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) is to determine the occupation range when viewed from a specific direction in which two or more conveyed objects CA are more likely to overlap on the conveyance path 121 than in other directions. desirable. According to this, the overlap on the conveyance path of conveyed material can be detected more easily and reliably. In this case, it is preferable that the photographing direction of the image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) is the specific direction. According to this, the image processing for the determination of the occupied range becomes easy, and the determination accuracy can be improved. The specific direction may refer to, for example, a height direction in the case where the height dimension among the width, length, and height of the conveyed object has the smallest value on the conveyance surface of the conveyance path.

In the present invention, the conveyed material control means (MPU, RAM) includes the unit occupation range 121U when the unit occupation range 121U is assumed in the portion in the conveyance direction in the continuous occupation range 121CT. It is more preferable to apply the exclusion force to the part located behind the conveyance direction. According to this, it is easy to separate the overlapped conveyed products using the conveying direction by leaving the conveyed objects in the front part of the overlapping conveyed objects or conveyed objects adjacent to each other and applying an exclusion force to the conveyed objects in the rear part. Resolving the state can be carried out easily and reliably.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the measurement area ME is set at the distal end 121e of the conveyance path 121 . According to this, since the overlapping state or proximity state of the conveyed objects is detected and eliminated at the most downstream end of the conveyance path, the alignment state of the conveyed material to the supply destination can be ensured, and at the transfer point to the supply destination. blockage can be prevented. In this case, in the image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM), the conveyed material CA is supplied from the distal end 121e together with the measurement area ME by the imaging means 130CM. Importance of the conveyed article CA in the importer 21a by acquiring an image photographed in a range including the importer 21a of the supplier 20 and processing the image It is preferable to further include a transported goods import permission detection means (MPU, RAM) for detecting the. According to this, since it is possible to detect whether the conveyed material is imported at the importing unit of the supplier from the image including the distal end, it is possible to control the supplier or to stop the supply to the supplier without using a separate imaging means. can

In the present invention, the conveyed object occupation range determining means (MPU, RAM) is a detection area Ls fixed in the conveying direction F, which is set to be occupied by the continuous occupation range 121CT that satisfies the condition of negative determination. ) is preferably provided in the measurement area ME. According to this, the conveyed object occupancy range judging means makes a negative determination when the continuous occupation range occupies (all inclusive) the detection area fixed in the conveying direction within the measurement area, so that detection within the measurement area when making the negative determination Since the position is fixed in the conveying direction, the timing at which the conveyed material always arrives at a substantially constant position can be used as the determination timing, thereby facilitating management of control timing of conveyed material and the like.

In the present invention, the image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) is continuously photographed at a predetermined photographing interval Ts by the image pickup means 130CM, and the measurement area ME is It is preferable to have a range set in advance so that all the conveyed objects CA passing through the conveying path 121 are always included according to the relationship between the conveying speed Vs of the conveyed material CA and the photographing interval Ts. According to this, even if the arrival timing of the conveyed object does not coincide with the shooting timing, all conveyed objects are always placed within the measurement area of one image. It is possible. In this way, since it is not necessary to generate a trigger signal for detecting the position of each conveyed object as in the prior art, a sensor for detecting the conveyed object becomes unnecessary, and the detection unit can be configured simply. Therefore, in the case where the conveyed objects are connected and conveyed, etc., there is no need to consider missing detection of each conveyed object, so there is no need to form a gap between the conveyed objects in advance With the release, the overall configuration of the detection system can be easily configured. In addition, since it is sufficient to process only image data within a preset measurement area among a plurality of photographed images to be continuously photographed, the image measurement processing for determining the conveyed object can be performed at high speed and with high precision. Note that this configuration may be performed by general moving picture shooting as long as the above conditions are satisfied.

In the above case, the length LD of the conveyance direction F along the conveyance path 121 of the measurement area ME is L equal to the length of the conveying direction F for one piece of the conveyed object, When the period is Ts and the transport speed is Vs, when n = a natural number of 1-10, when β = Ts Vs,

LD≥L+n·β=L+n·Ts·Vs

It is desirable to have a value that holds According to this, the continuous occupancy range is detected in a state in which all conveyed objects are always arranged within the area in the conveying direction in any one image data, and it is determined whether or not the unit occupation range is exceeded, so that any conveyed material can be reliably determined. . Here, it is more preferable that n exists in the range of 3-7.

In this case, furthermore, in the measurement area ME, a detection area Ls fixed in the conveying direction F, which is necessarily occupied by the continuous occupation range 121CT that satisfies the condition for negative determination, is provided in the measurement area ME. In this case, the photographing interval Ts according to the conveying speed Vs is set so that images must be captured when the continuous occupation range 121CT that satisfies all the conditions of the illegal provisions occupies the detection area Ls. It is preferable to be Specifically, in the detection area, when the continuous occupation range 121CT of the length Lct in the conveying direction F is negatively determined based on the unit occupation range of the same length L in the detection area, the detection area If the length of the conveying direction F of the continuous occupation range 121CT is Lct=Ls+ΔLt (ΔLt > 0) using the same length Ls of Since it is possible to acquire an image in which the continuous occupancy range is arranged within the above region, the continuous occupancy range by all conveyed objects can be detected by any one captured image.

In the present invention, a transmissive area 121c formed on the conveying surfaces 121a and 121b of the conveying path 121 in the measurement area ME, and the conveying surface 121a passing through the transmissive area 121c , 121b) further comprising a backside illumination means 140BL for irradiating light directed toward the imaging means 130CM from the rear side, wherein the conveyed object occupancy range determination means (MPU, RAM) includes the measurement With respect to the image data in the area ME, information indicating the range of the light-shielded portion or the non-light-shielded portion (transmissive portion) by the conveyed object CA in the light-transmitting area 121c is used, so that in the measurement area ME It is preferable to detect the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT in the According to this, in the image data of the measurement area acquired by the image acquisition means, the light-shielded portion or the non-shielded portion by the conveyed object in the light-transmitting area is passed through the light-transmitting area where light is irradiated to the image-capturing means by the rear illumination means. By extracting information indicating the range and using this information to detect the size of the continuous occupancy range within the measurement area, the processing of the image can be facilitated and assured, thereby accelerating the processing for determining the occupancy range of the conveyed object. and high precision can be achieved. That is, a continuous occupancy range having a size less than or equal to the unit occupancy range does not occupy the entire detection area, and a continuous occupancy range satisfying the condition for negative determination occupies the entire detection area. A determination is made depending on whether or not it is a size occupying the whole.

In this case, it is preferable that the width|variety of the said translucent area|region 121c is comprised narrower than the width|variety of the said conveyed object CA on the said conveyance path 121. FIG. According to this invention, in the image data of the measurement area acquired by the image acquisition means, the light-transmitting area through which light is transmitted to the imaging means by the rear-side illumination means is narrower than the width of the conveyed object, so that the rear-side illumination Since the amount of light is suppressed, it is possible to construct a structure capable of better extracting the surface aspect of the conveyed object from the image information imaged by the imaging means. In addition, when the width of the conveyed object varies depending on the attitude of the conveyed object on the conveying path, the light transmitting area may be formed to be narrower than the largest width. However, it is more preferable that the translucent area is configured to be narrower than all widths corresponding to the postures that the conveyed object can take on the conveyance path.

In the present invention, the transmissive area 121c may be formed in a slit shape extending in the conveyance direction rather than the length of the conveyed object CA. In this case, the conveyed object blocks a part of the slit-shaped transmissive area extending in the conveying direction, so that the position range of the conveyed object can be more easily and reliably determined based on the range of the light-shielded portion or non-shielded portion by the conveyed material in the transmissive area. It becomes possible to specify In this case, the transmissive area 121c is preferably formed over the entire range of the measurement area ME in the conveyance direction. According to this, since the light-shielded portion or the non-shielded portion can be grasped at any location in the conveyance direction of the measurement area, it becomes easier to specify the presence or absence of the conveyed object and the positional range.

Moreover, the light transmitting area 121c may be formed of a group of a plurality of light transmitting area portions 121g to 121i arranged in the measurement area ME. In this case, by looking at which one of the plurality of light-transmitting area portions is blocked by the conveyed object, it becomes possible to easily and reliably specify the positional range of the conveyed object CA. In particular, the light-transmitting area portions are preferably arranged in the transport direction, and may be arranged in the width direction, or may be arranged in both directions. In this case, it is preferable that the light-transmitting area portions are arranged over the entire range of the measurement area ME in the conveyance direction. According to this, since the light-shielded portion or the non-shielded portion can be grasped at any location in the conveying direction of the measurement area, it becomes easier to specify the presence or absence of the conveyed object and the positional range. In these cases, the transmissive area portions 121f to 121i are preferably shorter than the length of the conveyed object CA in the conveying direction. By arranging a plurality of transmissive area portions smaller than the conveyed object in the conveying direction, the light transmitting area is further limited, so that image information on the surface can be more easily extracted by the imaging means.

In this case, the plurality of transmissive area portions 21f, 121g to 121i of the transmissive area 121c are the transmissive areas of the first transmissive area formed to be included within the length range in the conveyance direction of the unit occupation range. When the portion 121h and the second transmissive region 121i and the unit occupancy range 121U block the light of the first transmissive region 121h and the second transmissive region 121i, It is preferable to include the third light-shielding area portion 121g including a portion that is not blocked from light. As a result, when the first light-transmitting area portion and the second light-transmitting area portion are both blocked from light, the unshielded portion (or at least a part of it) of the third light transmitting area portion is continuously occupied depending on whether the light is blocked or not. It can be determined whether the range exceeds the unit occupancy range. At this time, depending on the size of the non-shielding portion (or at least a part of it) of the third light-shielding area portion or the detection accuracy of the non-shielding portion, the determination accuracy of whether the unit occupation range of the continuous occupation range is exceeded can be determined.

In the present invention, the conveying path 121 conveys the conveyed material CA by vibrating in a reciprocating manner in the direction along the conveying direction F of the conveyed material CA, and the imaging means 130CM In the case of stopping, the measurement in the captured image GPX so as to eliminate a positional change in the captured image GPX with respect to the conveying path 121 due to the vibration of the conveying path 121 at the time of photographing. It is preferable to correct the position of the area ME. According to this, the position shift of the captured image with respect to the transport path in the image processing area due to the vibration of the transport body can be eliminated. Therefore, shift of the image processing position due to the position shift is prevented, and a fixed position on the transport path is prevented. can carry out the process of determining the occupancy range of conveyed goods. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the control and the like of the conveyed object due to the displacement, and it is possible to reliably and accurately control the conveyed object.

In this case, the conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) determines the position of the specific point 121y on the conveying path 121 captured in the captured images GPX and GPY by the image measurement processing. It is preferable to detect and correct the position of the measurement area ME according to the position. The amount of displacement of each area with respect to the transport path due to vibration of the transport route is calculated for each imaging using the values of the oscillation amplitude and oscillation period of the transport route set in advance, and the position of the measurement region in the captured image is determined according to the displacement amount. Although correction may be made, by detecting the position of a specific point on the conveyance path in the captured image by image processing, correction can be performed corresponding to the actual vibration mode of the conveyed body shown in the captured image, so that the position of each area can be reliably confirmed. It can also be set with high precision. As a specific location on the conveyance path, various parts photographed in the image (location marks displayed on the conveyance path) can be used.

Next, the transport apparatus according to the present invention includes a transport mechanism (12, CL12) having the transport path (121), and the transport control systems (CM1, CM2, DTU, DP1, DP2, SP1, SP2). characterized in that

In the present invention, the conveying mechanism (12, CL12), the excitation means (125) for vibrating the conveying path (121), and the excitation control means (CL12) for controlling the driving mode of the excitation means (125) It is desirable to have Examples of driving modes to be controlled by the excitation control means include stopping the driving of the excitation means, changing the driving frequency or driving voltage of the excitation means. Thereby, the conveyance mode (conveyance speed, stability of conveyance attitude|position, etc.) of a conveyed object can be adjusted.

According to the present invention, by processing the photographed image of the conveyed object, the size of the continuous occupancy range by the conveyed material is determined based on the unit occupancy range, thereby avoiding conveyance defects such as blockage of conveyed objects or defective detection of the overlapping state of the conveyed objects before and after. You can get excellent effects that you can do.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a top view of embodiment of the conveyance apparatus (vibration type conveyance apparatus) provided with the conveyance control system which concerns on this invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the embodiment.
3 is a perspective view of the same embodiment.
4 is an enlarged perspective view (a) and an enlarged perspective view (b) showing the distal end of the conveyance path in a further enlarged manner according to the embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a side view (a) of the distal end of the conveying path of the embodiment and an enlarged side view (b) showing an enlarged area B in the side view (a).
6 is a plan view (a) showing the structure of the distal end of the conveying path of the embodiment, and the importing unit of the index table of the supplier's inspection apparatus, and the distal end of the conveying path, and the supplier's inspection apparatus; It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (b) showing the structure of the import part of the index table of
Fig. 7 is an explanatory view (a) showing a state of the first embodiment when corresponding to individual conveyed objects in the distal end of the conveying path of the same embodiment, and in the importing section of the index table of the inspection apparatus of the supplier; It is explanatory drawing (b) which shows the state of the 1st Example when it respond|corresponds to a conveyed object.
Fig. 8 is an explanatory view (a) showing the state of the second embodiment when corresponding to individual conveyed objects in the distal end of the conveying path of the same embodiment, and in the importing section of the index table of the inspection device of the supplier; It is explanatory drawing (b) which shows the state of the 2nd Example when it respond|corresponds to a conveyed object.
9 is an explanatory view (a) to (e) showing the conveyance state and processing mode of the overlapped conveyed objects in the distal end of the conveying path and the importing unit of the index table of the supplier inspection apparatus according to the embodiment.
Fig. 10 is a schematic structural block diagram showing the overall configuration of the embodiment.
Fig. 11 is a schematic flowchart showing an overall schematic control procedure of the operation program of the embodiment.

Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiment of the conveyance control system and conveyance apparatus concerning this invention is described in detail. First, with reference to FIG. 10, the basic structure of embodiment of the conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of a drive control system of the transport device 10 and a transport control system of the transport device 10 .

The conveying apparatus 10 includes, as a conveying mechanism, a parts feeder 11 having a bowl-shaped conveying body 110 having a spiral conveying path 111, and the conveying path ( It is a vibratory conveying apparatus comprising a linear feeder (12) having a conveying body (120) having a linear conveying path (121) having an inlet configured to receive conveyed material from an outlet (111). In the conveyance control system of this embodiment, the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 of the conveyance body 120 of the linear feeder 12 is detected based on the scratch image GPX, and the detected image part is a target to be inspected and judged. Here, the conveyance control system of this embodiment includes not only the corresponding part of the conveyance control system having the configuration according to the present invention, but also various inspection units such as for determining and aligning the posture of the conveyed object, a discrimination unit, It may include a selection unit, an inversion unit, and the like. Moreover, in this invention, about the structure which is not limited to a vibrating type conveying apparatus, it can be used for the various conveying apparatuses in which the conveyed material CA is conveyed along a conveyance path. In addition, even the vibrating type conveying device is not limited to the combination of the parts feeder 11 and the linear feeder 12, and it can be used for other types of conveying devices such as a circulating parts feeder. Moreover, even in the above combination, the conveyance path 111 of the parts feeder 11 is not limited to inspection, discrimination, sorting, inversion, etc. of the conveyed material CA on the conveyance path 121 of the linear feeder 12. It is okay to inspect the conveyed material (CA) of the upper body.

The parts feeder 11 is driven and controlled by the controller CL11. In addition, the linear feeder 12 is driven and controlled by the controller CL12. These controllers (CL11, CA12) AC drive the excitation means (including electromagnetic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, etc.) of the parts feeder 11 or the linear feeder 12, It drives so that the conveyance object CA on 111, 121 may become a mode which moves in the predetermined conveyance direction F. Further, the controllers CL11 and CL2 are connected via an input/output circuit I/O to an inspection processing unit DTU having an image processing function as the main body of the transport control system.

Further, the controllers CL11 and CL12 provide a predetermined operation input (debugging operation) via operation input apparatuses SP1 and SP2 described later, such as a mouse, to an operation processing unit (MPU), which will be described later, that executes the operation program described below. ), the drive of the conveying apparatus 10 is stopped according to the above operation program. At this time, according to the above operation program, for example, the image measurement processing in the inspection processing unit DTU is also stopped. This debugging operation and the operation of each location according to the operation will be described later in detail.

Inspection processing unit DTU has an arithmetic processing unit (MPU) (microprocessing unit) such as a personal computer as a core configuration, and in the illustrated example, the arithmetic processing unit MPU includes a central processing unit CPU1 , CPU2), cache memory (CCM), memory controller (MCL), chipset (CHS), and the like. This inspection processing unit DTU is provided with image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 for performing image processing respectively connected to cameras CM1 and CM2 serving as imaging means CM. These image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 are connected to image processing memories GM1 and GM2, respectively. Outputs of the image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 are also connected to the arithmetic processing unit MPU, and the image data of the captured image GPX transferred from the cameras CM1 and CM2 is processed, and an appropriate processed image (for example, described later) image data in the image area GPY to be processed) is transferred to the arithmetic processing unit MPU. In the main memory MM, the operation program of the transport control system is stored in advance. When the inspection processing unit DTU is started up, the operation program is read and executed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU. Moreover, in this main memory device MM, the image data of the picked-up image GPX or the image area GPY which becomes the object to which the image measurement process mentioned later was performed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU is stored.

Further, the inspection processing unit DTU is connected to the display devices DP1 and DP2 such as a liquid crystal monitor and the operation input devices SP1 and SP2 via the input/output circuit I/O. The display devices DP1 and DP2 have the image data of the captured image GPX or the image area GPY processed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU, and the result of the image measurement processing, that is, a conveyance occupancy range discrimination processing described later. In addition, the results of the conveyed object detection processing and the conveyed object discrimination processing at each location are displayed in a predetermined display mode. In addition, this display function is not limited to the case where conveyances are actually conveyed, but functions also in the case where past data is being read and reproduced, as will be described later. In addition, by operating the operation input devices SP1 and SP2 while viewing the screens of the display devices DP1 and DP2, processing conditions such as various operation commands and set values can be input to the arithmetic processing unit MPU.

Moreover, in this embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 10, two cameras CM1, CM2, two image processing circuits GP1, GP2, two image processing memories GM1, GM2, two Although display devices DP1, DP2, two operation input devices SP1, SP2, etc. are provided, this is an example, and each single structure may not be provided, and three or more each structure may be provided. In the present embodiment, a specific camera device 130CM is provided as a separately additionally installed camera in addition to the above cameras CM1 and CM2. In the following, transported goods are occupied by image processing of a photographed image by the camera device 130CM. Only the range discrimination processing will be described.

1 to 5 are diagrams showing in detail an example of the conveying mechanism of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 10 . In the present embodiment, the distal end 121e of the conveyance path 121 of the linear feeder 12 is supported by the support portion 20a of the inspection device 20 that is a supply destination of the conveyed material CA, and is capable of step rotation. It is configured to supply the conveyed article CA to the importing unit 21a constituted by a part of the configured index table 21 . The index table 21 is provided with the some accommodating part 21d arranged along the outer periphery as shown in FIG. The plurality of accommodating portions 21d are each configured in a concave shape so as to be capable of accommodating a single conveyed object CA. Each accommodating portion 21d constitutes an intake portion 21a of the conveyed material CA in the inspection apparatus 20 when disposed at a position corresponding to the end of the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 . do. In addition, although not shown, a vacuum suction path for sucking and holding the conveyed material CA is provided in each accommodation portion 21d. Further, in the inspection apparatus 20, when the conveyed material CA is supplied from the distal end 121e to the importing unit 21a, the index table 21 rotates and the next receiving unit 21d is transferred to the receiving unit 21a. It moves to the position where it should be, and repeats the step operation said to be operated to have the next transported object (CA). In addition, illustration of the inspection apparatus 20 which is an example of a supplier is abbreviate|omitted except the part related to the import part 21a. As a supplier, various devices such as a board mounting device and a pick and place unit for transferring to another location other than the inspection device 20 can be considered.

In the conveyance mechanism of this embodiment, the support base 131 fixed on the base which consists of a vibration isolator etc., the support arm 132 fixed to this support base 131, and this support It has a camera attachment part 133 supported by the arm 132, and the camera apparatus 130CM is attached to this camera attachment part 133 in the attitude|position of the photographing direction downward. The camera device 130CM has a photographing range that can simultaneously photograph the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 and the inlet portion 21a of the inspection device 20 disposed below it. The camera device 130CM is fixed via a vibration isolator or the like so as not to be directly affected by the vibration of the transport mechanism. On the other hand, at the lower positions of the distal end 121e and the inlet portion 21a, as shown in FIG. 2 , a support 141 fixed on a base made of a vibration isolator or the like, and a support arm fixed to the support 141 . It has 142 and the lighting attachment part 143 supported by this support arm 142, and to this lighting attachment part 143, the back side illumination device 140BL is attached. The backside illumination device 140BL has an illumination range capable of simultaneously illuminating the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 and the inlet 21a of the inspection device 20 . The rear lighting device 140BL is also fixed through a vibration isolator so as not to be directly affected by the vibration of the transport mechanism. In addition, the arrangement of the camera device 130CM and the rear lighting device 140BL is not particularly limited, and for example, they may be installed upside down.

4 is an enlarged sectional view (a) and a further enlarged view showing the area to which the conveyed material CA is passed, which consists of the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 and the importing unit 21a of the inspection device 20; It is a perspective view (b) showing the part. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view (b) of a side view (a) and a central area (B) of the linear feeder 12 when viewed from the supplier side when viewed from the distal end (121e). The distal end 121e of the conveyance path 121 is constituted by a lower surface block 121X constituting the conveyance surface 121b and a side block 121Y constituting the conveyance surface 121a. In this case, the cover block attached to the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 in many cases does not exist, and for this reason, the culvert structure is not comprised in the distal end 121e. In this case, when the conveying path 121 is a culvert structure, in the case of a fine conveyed object or a thin conveyed product, clogging of the conveyed material CA is likely to occur at the distal end. Because clogging occurs. The fact that the cover block and the culvert structure do not exist is suitable when imaging of the distal end 121e or performing back illumination.

The conveyance path 121 is provided with the conveyance surface 121a which has a steep inclination angle, and the conveyance surface 121b which is substantially orthogonal to this conveyance surface 121a, and has a gentle inclination angle. As shown in Figs. 4(b) and 5(b), the conveyed material CA is fine and thin. As an example of such a conveyed object CA (CA0, CA1, CA2), a surface mount type electronic component is mentioned, for example. As the dimensions, a thickness t of about 60 µm, a length L of about 1.0 mm, and a width W of about 0.5 mm are exemplified. Such a thin conveyed material CA is conveyed in the attitude|position toward a bottom surface on the conveyance surface 121b, making the thickness direction follow the vertical direction of illustration. In the example of illustration, the width of the conveyance surface 121b is slightly smaller than the width W of the conveyed object CA, and the edge of the conveyance surface 121b opposite to the conveyance surface 121a is, It is configured to face the gap G. The edge of the conveyance surface 121b conveys the conveyed material CA in the opposite direction to the conveying direction through the gap G, and constitutes a recovery path 122 returning to the upstream part of the conveying path 111 or 121 . It is disposed opposite to the edge (water surface part, 122a) of the recovery block 122X. Since the direction or phase of the vibration is different from the lower block 121X and the side block 121Y constituting the conveyance path 121 and the recovery block 122X constituting the recovery path 122, they must be separated from each other. Therefore, the gap G is provided. However, in the present embodiment, this gap G is one of a plurality of light transmitting area portions constituting the light transmitting area 121c through which the illumination light BLa of the rear side illumination device 140B is transmitted through the camera device 130CM. It constitutes one light-transmitting area part 121g. Moreover, as shown in FIG.5(b), the conveyance surface 121b of the conveyance path 121 inclines to the side of the conveyance surface 121a at a small angle α with respect to a horizontal plane, and, thereby, conveyed object CA. It is maintained in this conveyance path 121. Moreover, in the said recovery path 122, as shown in FIG. 4, the water surface part 122a adjacent to the said gap G, and the size substantially same as the conveyance surface 121b, and this water surface part 122a A portion adjacent to each other through a step portion and inclined in the recovery direction of the recovery path 122 , and a portion further adjacent to the recovery direction of the peripheral edge 122b and parallel to the upstream side of the transport path 121 . and a merging portion 122c extending up to. The conveyed material CA collected at the merging part 122c is returned to the parts feeder 11 or the upstream part of the conveyance path 121 of the linear feeder 12 by the recovery path 122 .

On the conveyance surface 121a, in the distal end 121e, the conveyed material CA is interposed with the gap G toward the water surface 122a of the recovery passage 122, and a branching hole for the overlapping agent ( OP) is formed. This branch OP is connected to an air flow source such as a compressor or a compression cylinder through an air flow passage passing through the side block 121Y and an on/off valve such as a solenoid valve (not shown). Further, on the distal end side closer to the supply destination than the branch port OP, a supply stop branch port SP for preventing the conveyed material CA from being supplied to the supply destination is formed. This branch SP is also connected to an air flow source through an air flow passage and an on/off valve separately from the branch OP. At the opening edge of the distal end of the branch openings OP and SP, deformed leg portions OPa and SPa are provided with chamfering or rounding for preventing the conveyed material CA from being caught. . Further, a notch-shaped mark portion 121y is formed on the side edge of the distal end of the side block 121Y. This mark part 121y is a mark for detecting the position of the conveyance direction F by the vibration of the conveyance path 121 in the image image|photographed by the camera apparatus 130CM so that it may mention later.

6 is a plan view (a) and a longitudinal cross-sectional view (b) showing the distal end portion (121e) and the import portion (21a) enlarged. The support portion 20a includes an upper plate 20a1 covering an upper side of the index table 21 configured to be rotatable therein, and a lower plate 20a3 disposed below the index table 21 . be prepared A window portion (20a2) is formed on the upper plate (20a1) corresponding to the import portion (21a), the import portion (21a) is configured to be photographed from the side of the camera device (130CM). In addition, a transmissive area portion 21f is formed on the lower plate 20a3, and the illumination light BLa of the rear illumination device 140BL passes through the light transmitting area portion 21f to be photographed by the camera device 130CM. configured to be Here, the above-described captured image GPX or image area GPY becomes an image shown in the plan view shown in FIG. 6( a ).

In the distal end 121e of the conveying path 121 of the linear feeder 12, the conveying path 121 is constituted by the conveying surface 121a and the conveying surface 121b, and the conveying surface 121b is the gap G ) adjacent to the water surface 122a of the recovery passage 122 through the . The gap G constitutes the transmissive area portion 121g, and, similarly to the transmissive area portion 21f, transmits the illumination light BLa of the rear illumination device 140BL, which is transmitted by the camera device 130CM. It is configured to enable shooting. A plurality of light-transmitting area portions 121h and 121i are formed on the carrying surface 121b from the end to the upstream side. The light-transmitting area portions 121h and 121i are also configured to transmit the illumination light BLa of the backside illumination device 140BL in the same manner as above, and to be capable of being photographed by the camera device 130CM.

Next, an example of the basic conveyed object occupancy range determination processing of the conveyed material CA in the conveying apparatus 10 using the above-described conveyance control system in the present embodiment will be described. In the image shown in the plan view of Fig. 6(a), a measurement area ME including a conveyance path 121 (end portion 121e) is set, and in this measurement area ME, the light-transmitting area portion 21f , 121g, 121h, and 121i) are provided with a light-transmitting area portion 121c. In this measurement area ME, image processing is performed on the image portions 21fy, 121gy, 121gz, 121gv, 121hy, and 121iy corresponding to the light-transmitting area portions 21f, 121g, 121h, and 121i, so that the end portion 121e and the import portion are In (21f), the presence or absence (or the occupancy range) of the conveyed object CA can be detected.

As a premise for configuring the embodiment, the processing contents of the inspection processing unit DTU and the setting of the measurement area ME shown in Fig. 6(a) will be described. In this embodiment, since it is necessary to perform conveyance occupancy range discrimination processing by image processing in the setting area ME for the images GPX and GPY acquired as described above, the image in the measurement area ME From the data, the occupancy state of the conveyed material CA on the conveying path must be detected. Therefore, it is necessary that all the conveyed objects CA passing on the conveyance path 121 are image|photographed in the said measurement area ME of any one of the said images GPX and GPY. Thereby, the setting area ME must satisfy at least the following conditions as a contract related to the conveyance speed Vs of the conveyed object CA and the imaging interval Ts.

In the present embodiment, the camera device 130CM continuously performs shooting at a preset shooting cycle, and similarly to the images of the cameras CM1 and CM2, the captured image GPX or the image area ( The image data in the GPY is transmitted to the arithmetic processing unit MPU via the image processing units GP1 and GP2. In the arithmetic processing unit MPU, the image data in the measurement area ME is processed as described above by using the arithmetic processing memory RAM among the transferred image data, and the conveyed article occupancy range discrimination processing is performed. However, in this embodiment, a separate trigger sensor is provided, or a predetermined shape pattern of the conveyed object CA is searched for within a predetermined area from the image data of the conveyed object CA, and an internal trigger is activated when the shape pattern is detected. It is not generated, but by introducing an external trigger indicating a preset shooting cycle or outputting a trigger signal of a certain cycle from the arithmetic processing unit (MPU) to the camera device 130CM, etc. Shooting is performed continuously. For this reason, if it is desired to judge all the conveyed objects CA conveyed on the conveyance path 121 without omission, all conveyed objects CA are measured in the measurement area (GPX) or the photographing area (GPY). ME) needs to be included.

So, when the shooting period is Ts [sec], the length of the conveying direction F of the conveyed object CA is L [mm], and the conveying speed of the conveyed material CA is Vs [mm/sec], all conveyed objects CA ), the range LD of the conveyance direction F of the measurement area ME is set as shown in Equation (1) below in order to be included in the measurement area ME of any one image data.

LD≥L+β=L+Ts Vs… (One)

For example, if the length L of the conveying direction F of the conveyed object CA is 0.6 [mm], the conveying speed Vs is 50 [mm/sec], and the imaging period Ts is 1 [msec] , L=0.6 [mm], β=0.05 [mm], and L≥0.65 [mm]. Further, when the photographing period Ts is 0.5 [msec], L = 0.6 [mm] and β = 0.025 [mm], L≥0.625 [mm].

In reality, since there is variation in the conveying speed of the conveyed object CA for each individual, by location, or over time, the whole or part of the conveyed material CA is image data 2 or more times, preferably 3 times or more. It is desirable to set it to be photographed in In general, in order to capture image data more than n times (n is a natural number),

LD≥L+n·β=L+n, Ts, Vs… (2)

LD is set so that In the case of this embodiment, n is set so that it may become the range of 3-7. This is because, when n is small, the risk of omission of photographing of the conveyed object CA due to variations in conveying speed increases, and conversely, when n is large, the load of image processing increases. Generally, it is preferable that the natural number n exists in the range of 1-10. In addition, in this embodiment, the image processing time is generally about 150-300 [microsecond]. Also, the shooting interval (Ts) is about 500 to 840 [μsec].

In addition, in the case of this embodiment, as described above, since the trigger signal for detecting that the conveyed object CA arrives at the measurement area ME is not used, a measurement area of a certain captured image GPX or image area Gpy is not used. There may be a case where the conveyed material CA is not originally arranged in the ME. Therefore, at the time of the image measurement processing in the measurement area ME, it is detected whether the image of the conveyed object CA is contained in the measurement area ME. Then, when a conveyed object is detected under a predetermined condition by this conveyed object detection processing, that is, when the entire conveyed object CA is included in the measurement area E, the conveyed object occupancy range discrimination processing is performed, otherwise, the conveyed material The occupancy range discrimination processing may not be performed. However, in this embodiment, since the image measurement process is performed at the distal end 121e of the conveyance path 121, the conveyed material CA is conveyed at a high density in many cases, so it is not necessary to do as described above. In addition, when the same conveyed object CA is detected multiple times within the measurement area ME, the conveyed material occupancy range determination processing is performed only once (for example, the first time), and the conveyed material occupation range determination processing is performed for other times. You may omit it. However, in each of the embodiments described below, since the detection of the continuous occupancy range 121CT is performed only in a more limited area within the measurement area ME, that is, the detection area in which the light-transmitting area 121c is disposed, Even when the continuous occupancy range 121CT is being imaged in the measurement area ME, the number of times of the transported object occupancy range discrimination processing is limited.

In the present embodiment, two examples will be described below as specific contents executed in the conveyed article occupancy range determination processing. In the first embodiment, the image portions 21fy, 121gy, 121gz, 121hy, and 121iy in the measurement area ME are subjected to image processing, and the discrimination mode thereof is shown in Figs. 7(a) and (b). . In this case, when the image portions 121gy, 121gz, 121hy, and 121iy corresponding to the four light-transmitting area portions are all blocked by the conveyed object CA at the same time, the plurality of conveyed objects CA overlap or are close to each other. It is determined that it has been returned from This corresponds to the length L in the conveying direction F and the width W in the width direction of the conveyed object CA, so that the three transmissive area portions 121gy, 121h, and 121i are a single conveyed product. Since it is formed in the unit occupancy range 121U that is simultaneously blocked by CA, and the other transmissive area 121gz is formed so as to extend backward from the above-mentioned unit occupancy range 121U, Fig. This is because, as shown in 7(a), when a single conveyed object CA passes, all of the four light transmitting area portions 121gy, 121gz, 121h, and 121i are not blocked from light at the same time. That is, in the case of the illustrated example, the four transmissive area portions are arranged over the detection area of the length Ls in the conveying direction F, and this length Ls is the length of the conveyed object CA in the conveying direction F. , that is, because it is longer than the length L of the unit occupation range 121U. On the other hand, when two or more conveyed objects CA are conveyed in a state of overlapping or close to each other, as shown in FIG. do. This is because the length Lct in the conveyance direction F of the continuous occupation range 121CT constituted by the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 overlapping each other is longer than the length Ls of the detection area. As such, in this example, the size of the continuous occupancy range 121CT by the conveyed object CA is determined by the unit occupancy range 121U depending on whether all four light transmitting area portions 121gy, 121gz, 121hy, and 121iy are simultaneously blocked. ) is configured to be able to detect whether it is exceeded. If the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT exceeds the unit occupation range 121U, a negative determination is made.

In addition, in this first embodiment, only when it is confirmed by image processing that the image portions 121gy, 121gz, 121h, 121i corresponding to the four transmissive area portions are all blocked from light, at least two conveyed objects CA This overlapping or at least two conveyed objects CA closely contacting and conveying are detected, and a negative determination is made. For this reason, in any one of the images acquired by the detection processing unit (DTU) corresponding to the image acquisition means, a state in which all of the four light-transmitting area portions are blocked must be photographed. In other words, the continuous occupation range 121CT to be determined negatively occupies the detection area of the length Ls composed of the four light-transmitting area portions, and an image must be taken while the light is blocked. Therefore, if the range of the entire conveyance direction F of the image portions corresponding to the four transmissive areas is Ls=L+ΔL (ΔL>0), the conveyance direction F of the continuous occupation range 121CT judged indefinitely ), for a length Lct=Ls+ΔLt (ΔLt>0), it is necessary that ΔLt≥β=Ts·Vs holds.

Next, in the second embodiment, only the image portion 121gv set in the single transmissive area portion 121g is inspected as the measurement area ME, and the entire image portion 121gv is simultaneously transferred to the conveyed object CA. It is detected whether or not the continuous occupancy range 121CT by the conveyed object CA exceeds the unit occupancy range 121U according to whether or not the light is blocked. The image portion 121gv is set in a range of length Ls=L+ΔL along the conveyance direction F among the transmissive area portions 121g constituted by the gap G. At this time, the length Lct of the conveying direction F of the continuous occupancy range 121CT needs to be satisfied such that ΔLt≧β=Ts·Vs at Lct=Ls+ΔLt as described above.

In any of the above first and second embodiments, in order to obtain a normal determination because a part of the length Ls in the conveying direction F of the detection area in which the light transmitting area portions are arranged is projecting light, the unit occupation range 121U ), the length Ls of the detection area with respect to the length L in the conveyance direction F needs to satisfy Ls>L. On the other hand, when a certain continuous occupation range 121CT to be judged negatively is given, in order to reliably detect that the continuous occupation range 121CT is to be judged negatively, ΔLt≥β for the value of ΔLt=Lct-Ls It is necessary to provide an imaging interval Ts at which =Ts·Vs is established in accordance with a predetermined conveying speed Vs. Conversely, in the case where the shooting interval Ts is set for a predetermined conveying speed Vs, if the continuous occupation range 121CT so that ΔLt≥β=Ts·Vs holds, a negative determination can be reliably made. there will be Therefore, it is arranged as follows.

A. The range in which normal judgment is reliably made: Lct<Ls

B. Range in which negative judgment is reliably made: Lct≥Ls+β

C. The range for either normal or negative judgment: Ls≤Lct<Ls+β

As a result of the above, the determination precision (resolution) becomes β = Ts·Vs. In the region C, as will be described later, judgment may be made by image processing an image component (surface aspect of the conveyed object CA) based on reflected light obtained by front-side illumination (including environmental pollution).

In all of the above embodiments, the determination is based on whether or not the size of the continuous occupancy range 121CT (the length of the conveying direction F in the illustrated example) exceeds the unit occupancy range 121U. This is performed not only when the plurality of conveyed objects CA overlap each other, but also when the plurality of conveyed objects CA are conveyed in close contact with each other. This is because even if a plurality of conveyed objects CA do not overlap each other, if they are conveyed in a state in close contact with each other, the possibility that these conveyed objects CA will overlap each other sooner or later increases. In this meaning, not only when the plurality of conveyed objects CA are in close contact with each other, but also when the gap in the conveying direction F between the plurality of conveyed objects CA is a predetermined value or less, the negative determination may be made. Do. This means that the continuous occupation range 121CT is not only a range in which the occupation ranges of conveyed objects are continuous, but also an area occupied by a plurality of conveyed objects CA arranged therein even when the occupation ranges are arranged at intervals less than a predetermined value. What is necessary is just to make it discriminate|determination process as all the occupied range including . In addition, on the contrary, by excluding the case of a range corresponding to a natural multiple of the unit occupancy range 121U among all continuous occupancy ranges 121CT from the negative judgment, only when the conveyed goods CA overlap. may be set so as not to be negative only when the conveyed material CA is conveyed in close contact with the negative determination.

The conveyed product CA in the present embodiment is an electronic component (eg, a chip resistor, a chip inductor, a chip capacitor, etc.) having a substantially cubic shape (eg, a shape in which eight corners of a cube are rounded). Although there are many, it is not specifically limited. However, since the present embodiment does not use a cover block or a culvert structure as described above, it is particularly effective for a fine and thin conveyed object CA. In the present embodiment, the occupancy range of the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 is obtained by image processing, and the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT, which is an integral range of occupation, is occupied by one conveyed object CA. The comparison is made based on the unit occupation range 121U, which is the range, and when the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT exceeds the unit occupation range 121U, a negative determination is made that requires some action.

In addition, as for the range of the conveyance direction F of the measurement area ME, it is necessary to necessarily include the detection area of the said length Ls by the detection method of the continuous occupancy range 121CT in the said each Example. there is Here, the detection area can also be considered as the actual measurement area ME. In addition, only the transparent area part necessary for image processing in the detection area can be considered as the measurement area ME. Therefore, the length LD of the conveyance direction F of the measurement area ME becomes larger than the length Ls of the conveyance direction F of the said detection area. On the other hand, the range of the conveyance direction F of the measurement area ME includes the continuous occupation range 121CT (same size as the unit occupation range 121U) to be determined normally when disposed in the detection area, but in Fig. 6, it is not necessary to include all of the continuous occupation range 121CT (size exceeding the unit occupation range 121U) to be judged negatively. It is sufficient if the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT can be determined based on the unit occupation range 121U. Further, in the above embodiment, not the entire measurement area ME is image-processed, but only the image portion corresponding to the light-transmitting area portion in the detection area is processed. Therefore, the burden of image processing is reduced and the processing speed is increased. can promote Furthermore, since the detection area is fixed, the detection position of the conveyed object CA when the conveyed material occupancy range discrimination processing is performed is also substantially constant, so it is important to have their timings even when various kinds of controls are performed according to the determination result. Easy.

Next, the mode of determination in the case where conveyance control is performed according to any of the above embodiments and the control aspect of the conveyed material CA will be described. Fig. 9 shows two superimposed conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 conveyed in a predetermined mode based on a photographed image GPX photographed by the camera apparatus 130CM or image data in an image area GPY obtained therefrom. It is a sequence explanatory drawing (a) - (e) for demonstrating the aspect of control and processing with respect to . In addition, the case where the conveyed objects CA before and behind are conveyed in close contact with each other are processed as in the case of the illustration. In addition, the case where they are connected and returned at an interval less than a predetermined value can be treated basically as in the case of the city. As shown in Fig. 9(a), in this example of illustration, the conveyance path 121 top is conveyed in an overlapping state in which the front part of the conveyed product CA2 is mounted on the rear of the conveyed product CA1. come. In the illustrated example, the conveyed object CA1 is in the measurement area ME, its tip reaches a part of the detection area, and a part of the transmissive area part 121g extending along the conveyance direction is blocked from light. At this time, in the importing unit 21a, the previously supplied conveyed material CA0 is disposed, and the light-shielding area unit 21f is shielded from light. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 travel further on the conveyance path 121, the light transmitting area portion 121i is blocked, and the light transmitting area portion 121g is formed. The light-shielded partial area also moves forward in the conveying direction F, and the light-shielded range also increases. At this point, the conveyed material CA0 continues to exist in the importing unit 21a, but the index table 21 starts to move by step rotation at a predetermined period. For this reason, as shown in FIG.9(c), before the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 approach the terminal, the import part 21a is empty, and the light-transmitting area part 21f enters a non-light-shielding state. Thereby, it is detected that the import part 21a is in a state in which the conveyed material can be imported. In addition, when the conveyed material CA0 remains disposed in the import unit 21a at this time, the conveyed materials CA1 and CA2 are transferred to the recovery path 122 on the conveying path 121 by blowing an airflow from the branch port SP. ) is excluded onto the water surface portion 122a. The state of exclusion by this branching port SP continues until the importing unit 21a transitions to a state in which import is possible (the state in which the transmissive area portion 21f is in a non-shielding state).

After that, at the positions shown in Fig. 9(d), the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 are determined by the method shown in each of the above examples. In the illustrated example, since the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT exceeds the unit occupation range 121U, a negative determination is made. As a result, as shown in Fig. 9(e), the conveyed material CA2 in the rear portion within the continuous occupation range 121CT is discharged from the conveying path 121 to the recovery path ( 122) is excluded. At this time, the branch port OP opens at a position immediately after the conveyed object CA1, and sets the injection timing so as to apply an exclusion force to the front or the center of the conveyed material CA2 in order to directly jet the airflow. It is preferable to do In this way, as shown in the figure, the conveyed material CA2 is all dropped on the conveying path 121 before the rear, or in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction F while maintaining the original conveying posture. Move. Therefore, it is not excluded from the posture such as the dotted line of the city. At this time, since the conveyed object CA1 continues to move on the conveyance path 121 in the conveying direction F, and the conveyed object CA2 which received the airflow moves in the width direction, at the time shown in Fig.9(e), the conveyed material CA1 ) is separated from the conveyed object CA2, so the possibility of getting caught up in the movement of the conveyed object CA2 decreases. On the other hand, when the conveyed material CA2 is excluded in the posture as indicated by the dotted line shown in the figure, the risk of contacting the conveyed material CA1 increases, so that there is a possibility that the supply of the conveyed material CA1 to the importer 21a may be disturbed.

In the conveyed object occupancy range discrimination processing of the present invention, as described above, by detecting whether or not the light transmitting area 121c is blocked by the occupation of the conveyed object CA by image data in the measurement area ME, the occupation of the conveyed object is detected. It is not limited to the case of determining a range, For example, you may make it judge the occupancy range by the conveyed object CA by processing of the image picked up based only on the reflected light on the conveyance path 121. As shown in FIG. For example, the position range of the conveyed object CA in the image may be detected by a patterning process or the like, and the occupancy range may be determined based on this.

In this embodiment, the conveyed object CA conveyed on the conveying path 121 which vibrates by the vibrating conveying apparatus 10 is made into an inspection object, while camera apparatus 130CM (CM1, CM2) does not vibrate. Since it is arranged in a place where it does not (on the base 100), in the image data of the captured image GPX or the image area GPY, the conveyance vibrates with a predetermined amplitude in a forward and backward manner in the conveying direction F. The furnace 121 is disposed at a displaced position according to a change in the vibration phase at the time of capturing the image data, so that the external appearance of the conveyed object CA is discharged from a fixed position with respect to the conveying path 121 as a reference. . Vibration with an amplitude of 0.1 mm and a vibration frequency of 300 Hz is applied.

For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to match the position of the measurement area|region ME with the vibration position of the conveyance body 120 at the imaging|photography time of the picked-up image GPX or the image area|region GPY, the conveyance body 120 ) can be corrected based on the position correction mark set in This position correction mark is not particularly limited as long as it is easy to detect and is reliable, but it can be reliably recognized as a probe in the image, and its central position can be stably detected. , it is possible to increase the detection accuracy of the position. In addition, the position correction mark is not intentionally provided, but exists inherently in the conveying device, and is detectable by image processing, for example, even if it is a ridgeline or corner formed on the conveying body 120, a bolt head, a branch, etc. good. However, it is preferable to be in a place not covered by the conveyed material CA. In the illustrated example, the position correction mark serves as the mark portion 121y. Although this marking part 121y is comprised with the recessed part formed in the end edge of the terminal side of the conveyance body 120, it is not limited to the edge, and a hollow part, a blood part, and a projection. ) may be any identifiable structure such as In the present embodiment, since the contour shape of the marking portion 121y is clearly reflected on the image by the illumination light BLa of the back-side illumination device 140BL, the position of the marking portion 121y is easy to correct. It can also be done with certainty.

In the present embodiment, the position of the measurement area ME with respect to the conveyance path 121 for the above position correction is always the same with respect to the conveyance path 121 regardless of the phase timing of the vibration at the time of photographing. do. Accordingly, the position at which the exclusion air for excluding the conveyed material CA2 among the conveyed materials CA1 and CA2 of the negative determination is blown from the discharging branch OP, and the supply of the conveyed material CA in the unclean state of the supplier Since the measurement area ME is always set to have a constant positional relationship with respect to the position at which the air for stopping air is ejected from the outlet SP, the result of determination by the conveyed object occupancy range determination processing and the importer ( 21a), when the exclusion force is applied to the conveyed product CA according to the result of import or not, the action can always be caused at an approximate timing.

In addition, it is preferable that a timer can be set so that the jet timing of the airflow from the branch port OP is started after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the time of photographing the image when a negative determination is made for a specific image. Do. In this case, generally, as for the timer setting, it is sufficient to set the ejection timing on the basis of the determination timing or the determined image acquisition timing. However, it is preferable to configure so that the injection timing is automatically corrected according to the position in the conveying direction F of the conveyed object CA1 in the measurement area ME in the image (the position after the position correction). In this way, setting so that the airflow from the branch port OP does not act on the conveyed object CA1 but acts only on the conveyed object CA2 can be made easily and reliably. Also, similarly to the above, the timing of the start of jetting of the airflow from the branch port SP is also configured to be automatically corrected according to the position in the conveying direction F of the conveyed object CA1 (the position after the position correction). desirable.

In the present embodiment, an image of the conveyed object CA on the conveying surface 121b is acquired by the camera device 130CM, and the continuous occupation range ( 121CT) is determined based on the unit occupation range (121U). At this time, since the conveyed objects CA are conveyed in a position where they tend to overlap with each other in the direction orthogonal to the conveying surface 121b on the conveying surface 121b, the overlapping state of the conveyed objects CA is the occupied range on the image. making it easier to judge. In particular, by matching the imaging direction of the camera device 130CM to the above-mentioned direction which tends to overlap, image processing is further facilitated, and the discrimination accuracy can be improved.

In addition, in the present embodiment, by image processing the image portion 21fy of the transmissive area portion 21f of the importing portion 21a, importability of the supplier can be detected, so that the supply stop of the conveyed material CA, etc. can judge In particular, since detection can be performed by the same image as that used for the above conveyed object occupancy range discrimination processing, the imaging means can be configured simply, and the image processing can be performed simultaneously and quickly. Moreover, when determining whether the importing section 21a is acceptable to import, the effect of the backside illumination can also be obtained as in the transmissive area portion in the measurement area ME.

Further, in the present embodiment, the light blocking state of the transmissive area portions 21f, 121g, 121h, and 121i can be clearly detected by the illumination light BLa of the backside illumination device 140BL, so that the contrast of the measurement area ME is It is possible to make it less susceptible to effects such as a decrease in However, the image taken by the camera device 130CM is not limited to the rear side illumination (transmitted light), and may be generated by the front side illumination (reflected light). It is also good to use a combination of both. In this case, it is preferable that the range of the light-transmitting area 121c (transmissive area portion) is limited, so that not only the silhouette (contour information) of the imaging area but also the surface aspect can be easily extracted by image processing. For example, in this embodiment, since it is not necessary to recognize the outer shape of the conveyed object CA in the width direction, by making the transmissive area 121c narrower than the width of the conveyed object CA, the effect is not reduced and the light transmitting area is not reduced. The area of (121c) can be limited. In particular, it is preferable to specify the position of the conveying direction F of the conveyed object CA to be configured in a slit shape extending in the conveying direction F like the light-transmitting area portion 121g. In this case, the measurement area ( It is more preferable to serialize in ME). At this time, by extracting the surface aspect of the thing being photographed in the image, the overlapping state of the conveyed objects CA is determined in more detail at the time of negative judgment, and the method of applying the exclusion force is changed, or the overlapping state is determined based on the surface aspect. If it is confirmed that it is not, it is possible to avoid or make a negative judgment. Regarding the limitation of the transmissive region, for example, it is preferable that the transmissive region 121c be arranged in a manner in which a plurality of dispersed transmissive region portions are arranged like the above-described transmissive region portions 121g, 121h, 121i.

In the present embodiment, the type, size, negligence determination condition of the conveyed product CA, the reference image data of the conveyed product CA, the recognition condition of the continuous occupancy range, the numerical value of the unit occupancy range, etc. at the time of binarization of image processing Various types of data used for the discrimination processing of the conveyed object CA, such as various set values such as threshold values, are stored in the main storage device MM or the like, and are appropriately read and used in each processing. In addition, the setting value for determining the shooting timing of the camera device 130CM (CM1, CM2), the setting value of the image acquisition condition when moving the captured image (GPX) or the image area (GPY), and the vibration of the conveying path 121 A setting value that determines the mode of position correction of each setting area by A set value, such as a pressure value, etc. are processed similarly.

In the present embodiment, it is possible to select, read, and display an image file in which the past captured images GPX or image areas GPY stored in the main memory MM are stored successively in time series. And means for executing various operation processes for the selected image file are also prepared.

The image file stored in the main memory MM is one in which the image data of the plurality of captured images GPX or the image area GPY moved in the operation mode are automatically recorded by the arithmetic processing unit MPU. This image file can be saved for all image data when there is a spare capacity in the main memory device (MM) It is desirable to always save image files (for example, one hour, etc.) or the latest preset number of images (for example, 1000 pieces, etc.).

As described above, in the state where the captured image (GPX) or image area (GPY) recorded in the past is displayed, the conveyed object detection processing and the conveyed object discrimination processing (generally the conveyed processing) are performed by appropriate operations on this image data. The image measurement processing can be executed again. As one of the display mode control functions, a plurality of captured images GPX or image areas GPY stored in the same file can be switched one by one into different image data captured before and after by an appropriate operation. Moreover, it is also possible to perform image measurement processing for image data displayed in parallel while displaying a plurality of captured images GPX or image areas GPY in the same image file successively.

Next, the flow of the entire operation program of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11 . Fig. 11 is a schematic flowchart of a process executed according to an operation program by the arithmetic processing unit (MPU) of the inspection processing unit (DTU). When this operation program is started, first, the above image shooting and image measurement processing is started, and the transfer device 10 (parts feeder 11 and linear feeder 12) is operated by the controllers CL11 and CL12. drive is started. And if the debugging setting according to the debugging operation described above is OFF, the image measurement processing is executed for the captured image GPX or the image area GPY, and if the final determination result is an OK determination, unless the debugging operation is performed, As it is, the image measurement processing of the next captured image GPX and image area GPY is performed. For example, in the sorting position according to the judgment of unclean and good goods of the conveyed product CA, the sorting position according to the judgment of the illegal posture and the normal posture, or the reversed position, based on the images captured by the cameras CM1 and CM2, , the conveyed material CA determined to be unclean or the conveyed material CA determined to be in an unclean posture is controlled by the airflow of the branch port, and removed from the conveyance path 121, or the posture is reversed. Further, also at the selection position (measuring area ME) according to the determination of the occupancy range of the conveyed object CA in the distal end 121e described above, based on the image acquired by the camera device 130CM, as described above, The exclusion force is applied to the continuous occupation range (121CT) of the negative judgment.

In this way, when the conveyed material CA is controlled on the conveyance path 121, only the non-defective product and only the good attitude|position are supplied in the aligned state to the downstream. And in the end part 121e, the overlapping state of the conveyed materials CA and its probability are determined, and finally, one conveyed material CA can be supplied to the importing part 21a so that supply irregularity does not occur. Also in this case, the determination of the next captured image GPX or image area GPY is performed as it is, unless a debugging operation is performed thereafter.

In the middle of the above, a debugging operation is performed, and when the debugging setting is turned ON, it exits from the routine, the driving of the conveying apparatus 10 is stopped, and the image measurement processing is also stopped. Then, if an appropriate operation is performed in this state, the image file can be selected as described above. The image file that is selectively displayed at this time is an image file including a plurality of captured images GPX or image areas GPY recorded in the immediately preceding operation mode. If you select this as it is and perform an appropriate operation, it will shift to the re-execution mode. In this mode, image display, detection, and judgment can be re-executed based on the image file in which the control operation already performed as described above is recorded. That is, when a problem arises in the control of the conveyed object CA of the conveying apparatus 10, in order to solve this problem, first, the image measurement processing is problematic by re-executing the image measurement processing based on the past image data. look for When the problem location is identified, the result of the adjustment and improvement work can be confirmed by changing and adjusting the settings (setting values) of detection and judgment accordingly, and then re-executing the image measurement processing for the past image data. After that, when an appropriate recovery operation is performed, the debugging setting is turned OFF, the image measurement processing is resumed, and the driving of the conveying apparatus 10 is resumed. In addition, the screen of the display device returns to the display screen of the operation mode.

In the present embodiment described above, in addition to the various effects described above, the camera device 103CM continuously takes pictures at a predetermined shooting interval, and conveys the conveyed object according to the relationship between the conveying speed Vs and the shooting interval Ts. By performing image measurement processing on image data in the measurement area ME having a range LD of the conveying direction F preset so that all conveyed objects CA passing through the furnace 121 are always included, any one photographing Since it is possible to detect and determine the conveyed object CA arranged in the measurement area ME in the image, it is not necessary to generate a trigger signal for detecting the position of each conveyed object as in the prior art. In addition, by determining the occupancy range, that is, the continuous occupancy range 121CT, of the conveyed material CA included in this image based on the unit occupation range 121U, information on the overlapping state of the conveyed material CA or its probability can be reliably extracted. Therefore, even when high-speed conveyance or high-density conveyance of the conveyed material is performed, it becomes possible to efficiently supply the conveyed material CA by preventing an irregular supply to the supply destination. In addition, since it is sufficient only to detect the continuous occupancy range on the conveyance path 121 of the conveyed material CA and compare it with the unit occupation range, an image for determining the overlapping state of the conveyed material CA and its probability Measurement processing can be performed at high speed and with high precision.

In this embodiment, the transmissive area|region 121c shown in FIG. 6 is provided in the conveyance surface 121b which comprises the conveyance path 121. As shown in FIG. This light-transmitting area 121c is constituted by a through hole and a gap G that pass through the conveyance surface 121b and open on the back side. On the back side of this through hole or the gap G, the back side illumination device 140BL is directed. The through-hole, interpole, and back-side illuminating device 140BL constitutes the above-described back-side illuminating means. In addition, as the backside lighting means, it is sufficient that there is transmitted light directed to the imaging means through the transmissive area 121c, and even if it is not a dedicated lighting device as in the illustrated example, it is an environmental lighting that is directly or indirectly illuminated by indoor lighting or the like. It is good to have this secured.

In the backside lighting means, in the illustrated example, it is constituted by the above-mentioned through holes and gaps G, but a material having light-transmitting properties, for example, glass, quartz, sapphire, acrylic resin, etc., is arranged along the conveying surface 121b. and may be formed so as to be flush with the conveyance surface 121b. In this way, since the step part by the through hole 121d is not formed in the conveyance surface 121a, conveyance of the conveyed material CA is not obstructed. In addition, as shown in Figs. 6(a) and (b), the above-described branch ports OP and SP have chamfered or round deformed corner portions OPa, Since SPa) is provided, it is prevented that the conveyed material CA catches on the opening edge of the branch ports OP, SP, and stays, or an attitude|position is disturbed.

Although the transmitted light of the rear illumination device 140BL from the transmissive area 121c is emitted toward the camera device 130CM (CM1, CM2), the range of the transmissive area 121c is limited, so that the camera device 130CM When the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 is photographed by the The surface sun is displayed in the captured image. In this case, you may provide the front side illumination apparatus which illuminates the conveyance path 121 and conveyed object CA from the back of camera apparatus 130CM. As described above, the front side lighting device does not need to be provided in particular when a sufficient lighting effect is obtained by the ambient lighting. This lighting-side lighting device may be configured to illuminate from various directions.

In addition, the conveyance control system and conveyance apparatus of this invention are not limited only to the example shown above, It goes without saying that various changes can be added within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the occupancy range of the conveyed object CA is detected by processing the image portion of the transmissive area 121c acquired by the rear side illumination (transmitted light), but the normal front side illumination (reflected light) ), the occupancy range of the conveyed object may be detected by processing the image acquired by .

In addition, in the above embodiment, the length of the conveying direction F of the continuous occupation range 121CT is compared with the length of the conveying direction F of the unit occupation range 121U to make a negative determination, but in the present invention, the continuous occupation The width of the range 121CT may be compared with the width of the unit occupation range 121U, or the area of the continuous occupation range 121CT may be compared with the area of the unit occupation range 121U.

Moreover, in the above embodiment, as a basic configuration of the inspection processing unit DTU, the image is taken at a predetermined time interval Ts irrespective of the arrival timing of the conveyed product CA, but the arrival of the conveyed product CA The camera apparatus 130CM (CM1, CM2) may be operated with a trigger signal based on a signal for detecting , and an image may be taken.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when determining the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT based on the unit occupation range 121U, the length Lct in the conveyance direction F is equal to the length in the conveyance direction F It is being compared with (L) or (Ls). However, since there is a possibility that the overlapping state or the close contact state of the conveyed objects CA may occur not only in the length of the conveying direction F of the occupied range but also in the width direction, the width of each range may be used as a comparison target, and the length and width Both sides of or the area itself of each range may be used as a comparison object.

10: conveying device
11: Parts Feeder
110: carrier
111: return path
12: linear feeder
120: carrier
121: return path
121a, 121b: transport surface
121c: light transmitting area
121e: end (of return path)
121g~121j: Transmitting area part
122: recovery furnace
122a: sleeping part
122b: lead
122c: junction
121CT: continuous occupancy range
121U: unit occupancy range
L: Length of conveyed material (unit occupancy range)
Ls: the length of the detection area in the conveying direction
Lct: Length in the conveying direction of the continuous occupancy range
W: width of conveyed material
130CM (CM1, CM2): Camera device
140BL: Back side lighting device
OP: Branch (for de-overlapping)
SP: Branch (for supply stop)
CA, CA1 to CA3: Returned goods
CL11, CL12: Controller
DTU: Inspection processing unit
DP1, DP2: Display
GP1, GP2: Image processing device
GM1, GM2: image processing memory
GPX: Captured image
GPY: image area
MPU: arithmetic processing unit
MM: main memory
ME: measurement area
SP1, SP2: operation input device
RAM: Memory for arithmetic processing
20: (supplier's) inspection device
21a: support
21a1: top plate
21a2: prostitute
20a3: lower plate
21: Index table
21a: Department of Revenue
21d: receptacle
21f: light-transmitting area

Claims (17)

Image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) which repeatedly acquires the image of the measurement area ME on the conveyance path 121 through which the conveyed object CA is conveyed by imaging|photography of the imaging means CM;
A continuous occupancy range, which is a range in which the area occupied by the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 in the measurement area ME is integrally continuous, or a range in which the area occupied is continuous at intervals less than a predetermined value ( 121CT), and on the basis of the unit occupation range 121U corresponding to one conveyed object CA, conveyed material occupation range determining means (MPU, RAM) for determining the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT; ,
When the continuous occupation range 121CT satisfies the condition of negative determination based on the unit occupation range 121U, the conveyance state of at least one conveyed object CA disposed within the continuous occupation range 121CT A conveyance control system having a conveyed material control means (OP) for controlling the According to claim 1,
The conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) is a conveyance control system for determining the occupation range of two or more conveyed objects CA when viewed from a specific direction on the conveyance path 121 that is more likely to overlap than in other directions. 3. The method of claim 2,
A transport control system in which a photographing direction of the image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) is the specific direction. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The conveyed object control means (MPU, RAM) is located in the conveying direction rearward than the unit occupation range 121U when the unit occupation range 121U is assumed at a portion in the conveying direction forward within the continuous occupation range 121CT. A conveyance control system that gives exclusionary power to the part where it is located. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The measurement area ME is a conveyance control system that is set at the distal end 121e of the conveyance path 121 . 6. The method of claim 5,
The image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) is a supplier 20 to which the conveyed material CA is supplied from the distal end 121e together with the measurement area ME by the imaging means 130CM. A conveyed product import price for detecting whether or not the conveyed product CA is imported in the importing unit 21a by acquiring an image photographing the range including the importing unit 21a and processing the image A transport control system further comprising sub-detecting means (MPU, RAM). 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) is configured to set a detection area Ls fixed in the conveying direction F, which is set so that the continuous occupation range 121CT that satisfies the condition of negative determination, must occupy the measurement area. A conveyance control system provided in (ME). 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) is continuously photographed at a predetermined photographing interval Ts by the Shangi imaging means 130CM,
The measurement area ME is preset so that all the conveyed objects CA passing through the conveying path 121 are always included according to the relationship between the conveying speed Vs of the conveyed material CA and the photographing interval Ts. A conveyance control system with a set range. 9. The method of claim 8,
A detection area Ls fixed in the conveyance direction F, which is necessarily occupied by the continuous occupation range 121CT satisfying the condition of negative determination, is provided in the measurement area ME;
A conveyance control in which the imaging interval Ts according to the conveying speed Vs is set so that images are always captured when the continuous occupation range 121CT satisfying all the conditions of the negative determination occupies the detection area Ls system. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a light-transmitting area 121c formed on the conveyance surfaces 121a and 121b of the conveyance path 121 in the measurement area ME;
Further comprising a rear lighting means (140BL) for irradiating light directed to the imaging means (130CM) from the rear side of the carrying surfaces (121a, 121b) through the light-transmitting area (121c);
The conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) is information indicating the range of the light-shielded portion or the non-light-shielded portion by the conveyed object CA in the light-transmitting area 121c with respect to the image data in the measurement area ME. A transport control system for detecting the size of the continuous occupation range 121CT in the measurement area ME by using . 11. The method of claim 10,
The light-transmitting area 121c is configured in a slit shape extending in the conveyance direction F rather than the length of the conveyed object CA. 11. The method of claim 10,
The light-transmitting area 121c is a transport control system comprising a group of a plurality of light-transmitting area portions 121g to 121i arranged in the measurement area ME. 13. The method of claim 12,
The plurality of light-transmitting area portions 121g to 121i of the light-transmitting area 121c include the first light-transmitting area portion 121h and the second light-transmitting area portion formed to be included within the length range of the unit occupied range in the conveying direction. The third light-transmitting area is not blocked when the area portion 121i and the unit occupancy range 121U block the light of the first light-transmitting area portion 121h and the second light-transmitting area portion 121i. A conveyance control system having an area portion (121g). 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The conveyance path 121 conveys the conveyed material CA by vibrating in a reciprocating manner in the direction along the conveying direction F of the conveyed material CA,
The imaging means (130CM) is stopped,
The position of the measurement area ME in the captured image GPX so as to eliminate a position change with respect to the conveyance path 121 in the captured image GPX due to the vibration of the conveying path 121 at the time of photographing. A conveyance control system that calibrates 15. The method of claim 14,
The conveyed object occupancy range determining means (MPU, RAM) detects the position of the specific point 121y on the conveying path 121 captured in the captured image GPX by the image measurement processing, and according to the position A transport control system for correcting the position of the measurement area (ME). A transport mechanism (12, CL12) having the transport path (121), and the transport control system (CM1, CM2, DTU, DP1, DP2, SP1, SP2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 A conveying device provided. 17. The method of claim 16,
The conveying mechanism (12, CL12) has an excitation means (125) for vibrating the conveying path (121), and an excitation control means (CL12) for controlling the driving mode of the excitation means (125).

Images