TWI742225B - Inspection system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To realize an inspection system capable of efficiently inspecting the degree of wear of wheels installed on the transport vehicle by targeting a transport vehicle that runs along a traveling path. [Solution] An inspection system that inspects the degree of deterioration of the wheels of a transport vehicle traveling along a traveling path, and is equipped with: identification marks, which are unique identification marks for each wheel attached to the side of the wheel; photographing device, Take pictures from the side of the walking path to take the overall image of the wheel into the photographing range; and the inspection department, based on the image data of the side of the wheel, inspect the degree of wear of the wheel, and also carry out the inspection of the wheel that has become the object of inspection. Individual specific.

Description

Check the system

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an inspection system.

Background of the Invention For example, in article manufacturing equipment for manufacturing articles, in order to transport materials or intermediate products between steps, a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and runs along a predetermined traveling path is used. In such a transport vehicle, it is desirable that long-term deterioration of various parts of the vehicle body cannot be avoided, and for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of malfunctions in the first place, for example, inspections targeting the transport vehicle are carried out. At this time, from the viewpoint of inspection efficiency, it is desirable to form such inspections in an automatic manner.

For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-61933 (Patent Document 1), an inspection system [Bearing Deterioration Inspection Device 1] has been disclosed, which automatically targets equipment installed in a transport vehicle [Trolley 2] The bearing part of the wheel [the bearing part 6 supporting the roller 5] is checked for the degree of deterioration. In the inspection system of Patent Document 1, deflection slopes are provided on the left and right rails on which the transport vehicle runs, and light is irradiated from obliquely above toward the side of the wheel [roller 5] that passes through the deflection slope. The tilt of the optical axis of the light is used to check the degree of deterioration of the bearing.

However, the object to be inspected as an object whose degree of deterioration may affect the traveling of the transport vehicle is not limited to the bearing portion. For example, if the wear of the wheels is aggravated, the actual travel distance will be shorter than the estimated travel distance due to the decrease in the outer diameter of the wheel, and the control accuracy (for example, stopping accuracy) of the transport vehicle may be reduced. In this regard, Patent Document 1 does not describe the necessity of inspecting the degree of wear of the wheel, and of course there is no description of how to inspect it. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-61933

Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention What is desired is the realization of an inspection system that can target a transport vehicle that runs along a traveling path and efficiently inspect the degree of wear of wheels installed on the transport vehicle. Means to solve the problem

The inspection system of the present disclosure is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the aforementioned wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and traveling along a predetermined traveling path, and includes: an identification mark is attached to the plurality of aforementioned Each wheel has its own unique identification mark on the side of each wheel; a photographing device, from the side of the travel path, photographs the wheel of the transport vehicle that is walking on the travel path, so that the entire wheel The image is taken within the photographing range; and the inspection section, based on the image data of the side of the wheel obtained by the photographing device, inspects the degree of wear of the wheel, and also performs the individual identification of the wheel that has been inspected .

According to this configuration, as long as the imaging device installed on the side of the walking path is used to photograph the side of the wheel to which the identification mark has been attached, it is possible to inspect the wheel while identifying the individual wheel based on the obtained image data. The degree of wear. According to this, it is possible to efficiently check the degree of wear of each wheel, and to correlate the result with the wheel. In addition, since it is possible to perform both abrasion inspection and individual identification based on image data captured by a common imaging device, it is possible to simplify the system configuration in such a case.

The further features and advantages of the technology of the present disclosure should be made clearer by referring to the description of the following exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described in the drawings.

Mode for implementing the invention The following describes the mode for implementing the inspection system. In the present embodiment, as an example, the inspection system 1 is described, for example, in an article transport facility 2 used in a manufacturing facility (factory) of various products. The article transport facility 2 includes a transport vehicle 10 that has a plurality of wheels 13 and travels along a predetermined traveling path R. The inspection system 1 inspects the degree of deterioration of the wheels 13 provided on the transport vehicle 10 with the transport vehicle 10 as a target. Hereinafter, the inspection system 1 and the article transport facility 2 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

First, the main configuration of the article transport facility 2 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the article transport facility 2 includes a traveling rail 6 arranged along a traveling path R, and a transport vehicle 10 that runs along the traveling rail 6 to transport the article A. The manufacturing facility has a plurality of stations (steps), and the traveling path R (traveling path of the transport vehicle 10) includes an intra-station path Ra installed at each station and an inter-station path Re connecting the plurality of intra-platform paths Ra to each other. constitute. A plurality of processing devices 21 are provided along the route Ra in the station. A mounting table 22 is provided at a position adjacent to each processing device 21 and overlapping with the traveling rail 6 in the vertical viewing angle (in this example, a position directly below the traveling rail 6). The processing device 21 may be, for example, a semiconductor processing device that performs processing of a semiconductor substrate or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the walking rail 6 is provided with a pair of left and right sides, and is suspended and supported from the ceiling. The transport vehicle 10 is configured to travel on the upper surface of the traveling rail 6. That is, the transport vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is configured as a rail-mounted ceiling transport vehicle. A guide rail 8 is provided at the branch point of the walking path R (refer also to FIG. 4). The guide rail 8 is provided above the traveling rail 6 at the center position in the width direction of the pair of left and right traveling rails 6. The guide rail 8 is branched at a branch point and formed in a bifurcated shape.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport vehicle 10 includes a traveling body 11 and a transfer unit 17. The traveling body 11 has a vehicle body 12 and a plurality of wheels 13 rotatably supported by the vehicle body 12. The vehicle body 12 is provided with a pair of front and rear. The wheels 13 are provided with a pair of left and right in each of a pair of front and rear body bodies 12. In this way, the traveling body 11 of the present embodiment is provided with a total of four wheels 13 of the right front wheel, the left front wheel, the right rear wheel, and the left rear wheel. The wheels 13 roll on the traveling track 6. At least one of the plurality of wheels 13 is a drive wheel that is rotationally driven by a drive motor, and provides propulsion force to the transport vehicle 10.

The walking body 11 further has a guide roller 14. The guide roller 14 includes a lower roller 14D and an upper roller 14U. The lower roller 14D is below the vehicle body 12 and is rotatably supported by the vehicle body 12. The lower roller 14D rolls in contact with the side surface of the traveling rail 6. The upper roller 14U is above the vehicle body 12 and is rotatably supported by a switching mechanism provided on the vehicle body 12. The switching mechanism is configured to freely switch the position of the upper roller 14U to the left and right. The upper roller 14U rolls in contact with any side surface of the guide rail 8 in accordance with the state of the switching mechanism at the branch point of the traveling path R.

A connecting shaft 15 is connected to each of the pair of front and rear vehicle body bodies 12, and the body cover 16 is suspended and supported on the traveling body 11 through these connecting shafts 15. A transfer unit 17 is housed in the main body cover 16, and the transfer unit 17 grips the article A and performs the transfer operation of the article A. The transfer unit 17 is configured to move the article A up and down while holding the article A.

In such an article transport facility 2, the transport vehicle 10 travels along the traveling path R (traveling rail 6 ), and transports the article A between different mounting platforms 22. In the case where the processing apparatus 21 is a semiconductor processing apparatus as described above, the article A may be, for example, a container (Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP)) or the like for storing semiconductor substrates.

The wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 will wear and gradually wear over time (more specifically, as the cumulative travel distance becomes longer). If the wear of the wheel 13 increases, the outer diameter of the wheel 13 becomes smaller, and the actual travel distance becomes shorter than the estimated travel distance estimated based on the rotation angle of the wheel 13. As a result, the control accuracy (for example, stopping accuracy) of the transport vehicle 10 is reduced. In addition, when the wear of the wheels 13 increases to a certain level, it becomes easier to increase the wear, and there is a possibility that the amount of dust generated may increase.

Therefore, in the article transport facility 2 of the present embodiment, an inspection system 1 is incorporated. The inspection system 1 uses the transport vehicle 10 as an object to inspect the degree of deterioration of the wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 (specifically, Is the degree of wear). The inspection system 1 is configured to be able to automatically inspect the degree of wear of the wheels 13. The inspection system 1 includes: a photographing device 32, which is installed near the traveling rail 6 (refer to FIG. 3); and an identification mark 40, which is attached to the side surface of each of the plurality of wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 (refer to FIG. 5); And the inspection part 54 performs the essential processing of the abrasion inspection (refer to FIG. 6). In addition, the inspection unit 54 may be constituted by a computer on which a program (application program) for inspection is installed.

As shown in FIG. 3, on both sides of the traveling rail 6 (traveling path R), a support platform 31 is respectively provided at a position with the same height as the traveling rail 6. On the support platforms 31 on these two sides, the photographing devices 32 are respectively arranged to face the side of the walking rail 6 (that is, the side of the walking rail 6 can be photographed). The imaging device 32 photographs the wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the traveling path R from the side of the traveling path R. The photographing device 32 is installed so as to be able to photograph the entire image of the wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 traveling on the traveling path R into the photographing range S of the photographing device 32 (refer to FIG. 7 ). As the photographing device 32, for example, a high-speed camera capable of photographing 2000 frames or more in one second with a pixel count of approximately 1 million can be used. Of course, it is not necessary to adopt this type of specification, and the performance of the photographing device 32 can also be appropriately set according to the required level.

The installation position of the imaging device 32 is not particularly limited, and the imaging device 32 can be installed at any position in the walking path R. However, when the walking path R is formed in a loop and includes a straight section and a curved section, from the viewpoint of securing the installation space, it is preferable that the imaging device 32 be installed in the straight section. In addition, from the viewpoint of efficiency when photographing the wheels 13 of the respective transport vehicles 10, the imaging device 32 is preferably installed on the inter-platform path Re where the transport vehicles 10 travel more than the intra-platform path Ra.

In addition, it is preferable that the imaging device 32 has a predetermined stop position P (refer to FIG. 1) of the transport vehicle 10 installed in the traveling path R. In the article transport facility 2, there may be the following situation: just before the divergence point from the inter-platform path Re to the intra-platform path Ra, there is another transport vehicle 10 in the intra-platform path Ra that is about to enter therefrom, The standby position W (refer to FIG. 1) where the transport vehicle 10 is stopped and waits is set. Such a waiting position W is exemplified as an example of the stop position P. The photographing device 32 is preferably installed at any one of the standby positions W (stop positions P) set in a plurality of places. The installation position of the imaging device 32 may also be referred to as an "examination position".

The imaging device 32 is connected to the inspection unit 54 through the communication cable 33. That is, the information communication between the photographing device 32 and the inspection unit 54 is performed by wired communication. The image data I (refer to FIG. 7) including the side surface of the wheel 13 of the transport vehicle 10 photographed by the photographing device 32 is transmitted to the inspection unit 54 by wired communication through the communication cable 33. As long as the photographing device 32 is installed in the standby position W (stop position P) closest to the control room or server room in the factory where the article handling equipment 2 is installed, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) can be used. The construction of has become easier, so it is more ideal.

As shown in FIG. 3, a supporting member 35 protruding downward is fixed to the lower surface of one side of the left and right pair of traveling rails 6. The support member 35 is formed to have a zigzag (angular U-shape) when viewed along the traveling path R (traveling rail 6). To this support member 35, a photo sensor 36 (not shown in FIG. 3, see FIG. 6) constituted by, for example, a combination of a light projecting part and a light receiving part is fixed. The U-shaped supporting member 35 has a light projection part fixed on one supporting leg, and a light receiving part fixed on the other supporting leg.

On the other hand, an opaque shielding plate 38 protruding upward is fixed to the upper surface of the main body cover 16 of the transport vehicle 10. The shielding plate 38 is fixed so as to pass between a pair of supporting legs of the zigzag supporting member 35 fixed to the traveling rail 6. When the transport vehicle 10 travels along the traveling path R (traveling rail 6) and the shielding plate 38 passes through the support member 35, the light from the light projecting part is shielded by the shielding plate 38 and cannot be detected by the light receiving part. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, the photographing device 32 performs photographing for a certain period of time in response to the change from detection to undetected in the light receiving unit.

As shown in FIG. 5, a unique identification mark 40 is attached to the wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 for each wheel 13. The identification mark 40 is embedded with information assigned an identification number (wheel ID) for each wheel 13. As such an identification mark 40, in this embodiment, a two-dimensional barcode 41 (two-dimensional barcode: for example, QR code (registered trademark), etc.) is used. As long as it is a two-dimensional barcode 41, it can be read regardless of the inclination of the rotation direction. Therefore, it can be read even when the transport vehicle 10 is traveling (while the wheels 13 are rotating), which is preferable. In this embodiment, a two-dimensional barcode 41 as an identification mark 40 is attached to all wheels 13.

In addition, the attachment position of the two-dimensional barcode 41 is not particularly limited, and the two-dimensional barcode 41 may be attached to any position on the side surface of the wheel 13. In this embodiment, the two-dimensional barcode 41 is attached to the center position of the wheel 13 (the position of the axle). In this way, since the diameter of the rotation trajectory of the two-dimensional barcode 41 can be suppressed to be small, the two-dimensional barcode 41 can be accurately read in a narrow reading area, which is ideal.

The control system of the inspection system 1 and the article transport equipment 2 is shown in FIG. 6. This control system includes a higher-level control unit 50, a transport control unit 52, and an inspection unit 54. The upper control unit 50 controls the conveyance control unit 52 and the inspection unit 54 in an integrated manner. The transport control unit 52 controls the operation of the transport vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the information communication between the transport control unit 52 and the transport vehicle 10 is performed by wireless communication. The control command of the transport vehicle 10 generated by the transport control unit 52 is transmitted to each transport vehicle 10 by wireless communication.

The inspection unit 54 inspects the degree of wear of the wheel 13 based on the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13 obtained by the imaging device 32, and also performs individual identification of the wheel 13 that has been the inspection target. In order to realize such a function, the inspection unit 54 includes an image data acquisition unit 55, an individual identification unit 56, an image processing unit 57, and a determination unit 58. In addition, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 54 further includes a notification unit 59 and is connected to the display device 60.

The image data acquisition unit 55 acquires the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13 obtained by the photographing device 32. The image data acquisition unit 55 receives and acquires the image data I through the communication cable 33 when the photographing device 32 photographs the side surface of the wheel 13 to generate the image data I. The acquired image data I should be stored in a storage device such as flash memory or hard disk. The image data I (refer to FIG. 7) of the side surface of the wheel 13 is used to check the degree of wear of the wheel 13.

The individual identification unit 56 performs individual identification of the wheel 13 that has become the inspection target based on the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13. As shown on the upper right side of FIG. 7, the individual identification unit 56 performs a reading process by taking a certain area including the center portion of the wheel 13 in the image data I as an object. Since the center of the wheel 13 contains the image of the two-dimensional bar code 41 as the identification mark 40, the individual identification section 56 obtains the information of the identification number of the wheel 13 by reading the two-dimensional bar code 41, and based on the The identification number uniquely identifies the wheel 13 to be inspected. Furthermore, in the inspection unit 54 for all the wheels 13 of all the transport vehicles 10 included in the article transport equipment 2, the information on their locations (which position of the wheels in which transport vehicle 10) is combined with The identification number is linked to store. Therefore, the individual identification unit 56 can identify the wheel 13 of the inspection object at which position in the transport vehicle 10.

The image processing unit 57 performs image processing on the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 7, the image processing unit 57 extracts the contour line E of the wheel 13 included in the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13 by performing, for example, binarization processing or edge detection processing. .

The determination unit 58 determines the degree of wear of the wheel 13 to be inspected. The determining unit 58 obtains the outer diameter D of the inspected wheel 13 based on the extracted information of the contour E of the wheel 13 and calculates it, and determines the degree of wear of the inspected wheel 13 based on the estimated value . Information on the initial diameter of each wheel 13 is stored in the inspection unit 54. The judging unit 58 compares the estimated value of the outer diameter D of the wheel 13 with the size relationship of the reference diameter set in advance at a value smaller than the initial diameter, and if the estimated value is less than the reference diameter, it is judged to be this The wear of the wheels 13 has progressed to an extent that cannot be ignored. In this case, the reference diameter can be set to an outer diameter of about 95% to 99% of the initial diameter, for example.

It is not limited to a configuration in which only one reference diameter is set, and a plurality of reference diameters may be set. It is also possible to set, for example, a first reference diameter that is preset to a value smaller than the initial diameter, and a second reference diameter that is preset to a value that is further smaller than the first reference diameter. In this case, the determination unit 58 may also be configured to compare the estimated value of the outer diameter D of the wheel 13 with the respective magnitude relationships of the first reference diameter and the second reference diameter, and the estimated value is the first reference diameter. In the following cases, it is determined that the wear of the wheel 13 is continuing, and when the estimated value is less than the second reference diameter, it is determined that the wear of the wheel 13 has progressed to an extent that cannot be ignored. In this case, the first reference diameter may be set to, for example, an outer diameter of about 99% to 99.5% of the initial diameter, and the second reference diameter may be set to, for example, an outer diameter of about 95% to 99% of the initial diameter.

In this way, in the inspection system 1 of the present embodiment, the inspection unit 54 inspects the degree of wear of the wheel 13 based on the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13 obtained by the photographing device 32, and performs it together. The individual identification of the wheel 13 that has become the object of inspection. More specifically, the inspection unit 54 detects the outer diameter of the wheel 13 by image processing on the image data I, and checks the degree of wear of the wheel 13 based on the detection value, and uses the image data I Among them, the identification mark 40 is detected to perform individual identification of the wheel 13. Since it is based on the image data I obtained by the imaging device 32, the degree of abrasion of the wheel 13 is checked while the individual identification of the wheel 13 is performed. Therefore, the degree of abrasion of each wheel 13 can be checked efficiently.

If the notification unit 59 determines that the estimated value of the outer diameter D of the wheel 13 is less than or equal to the reference diameter (or less than the first reference diameter or less than the second reference diameter), it will notify the content corresponding to the situation. For example, the notification unit 59 displays a warning message or a caution reminder message on a display device 60 such as a monitor connected to a computer constituting the inspection unit 54 while the wheel 13 of the specific object is located. The warning message can be, for example, a message urging the wheel 13 to be replaced immediately, and the attention reminding message can be, for example, a message urging the wheel 13 to undergo a close inspection. The notification unit 59 may also display the estimated value of the outer diameter D of the wheel 13 or the image data I of the side surface of the wheel 13 on the display device 60, for example.

In this way, it is possible to replace the wheel 13 whose wear continues at an early stage without consuming special work time of the worker. According to this, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the control accuracy of the transport vehicle 10 due to the wear of the wheels 13, and it is possible to suppress the amount of dust generation to a small amount.

[Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the identification mark 40 is constituted by only the two-dimensional barcode 41, and all the wheels 13 are affixed with the two-dimensional barcode 41 as the identification mark 40 The configuration is explained as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and as shown in, for example, FIG. 8, the identification mark 40 may be configured by a combination of the first identification mark 40A and the second identification mark 40B for each transport vehicle 10. The first identification mark 40A is a mark unique to each transport vehicle 10, and information of an identification number (transport vehicle ID) assigned to each transport vehicle 10 is embedded in the first identification mark 40A. The first identification mark 40A may also be a two-dimensional barcode 44, for example. The second identification mark 40B is a mark that shows the installation position of each wheel 13 in the transport vehicle 10, and has a different shape for each installation position. The second identification mark 40B may also be, for example, a geometric mark 45. In the example shown in the figure, it is a concentric circle mark with 1 to 4 lines. The second identification marks 40B are respectively attached to the center positions of the side surfaces of all the wheels 13 in accordance with the installation positions of the wheels 13. The first identification mark 40A is attached to the side surface of one wheel 13 among all the wheels 13 of the transport vehicle 10 for each transport vehicle 10. In this configuration, among the two sides of the walking path R, the imaging device 32 provided on the side where only the second identification mark 40B is attached to the wheel 13 does not need to read the two-dimensional barcode 44, as long as they can distinguish each other. Mark 45 for different geometries. Therefore, there is an advantage that a low-speed camera of a lower specification can be used as the photographing device 32, and the cost of the entire system can be reduced.

(2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the imaging devices 32 are provided on both sides of the traveling path R (the traveling rail 6) has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and as shown in, for example, FIG. This optical system 70 includes two optical paths (a first optical path 71 and a second optical path 72) as optical paths connecting the imaging device 32 and the wheels 13. The first optical path 71 linearly connects the photographing device 32 and the wheel 13 on the side where the photographing device 32 is provided. The second optical path 72 connects the photographing device 32 and the wheel 13 on the opposite side to the side on which the photographing device 32 is installed in a broken line by a plurality of (three in this example) mirrors 74. The first optical path 71 and the second optical path 72 share a part of the imaging device 32 side, and branch into two optical paths at the branch B. In addition, an optical path switching device 76 is provided on the branch B of the first optical path 71 and the second optical path 72. The optical path switching device 76 may be constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal shutter. In such a configuration, it is possible to switch the penetration/non-penetration of light accompanying the opening/closing (On/Off) of the liquid crystal shutter at a certain cycle, and a single camera 32 can be used to control a pair of wheels 13 The image data I of each side is time-divided and obtained at the same time. In such a configuration, even as shown in, for example, FIG. 10, the attachment positions of the identification marks 40 may be different in the pair of left and right wheels 13. In this way, since the reading area of the individual identification part 56 can be clearly distinguished between the left and right wheels 13, the number of imaging devices 32 installed can be reduced, and the reduction in the accuracy of individual identification due to this situation can be suppressed. Status.

(3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the two-dimensional barcode 41 is used as the identification mark 40 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the identification mark 40 may be, for example, a one-dimensional bar code, or a simple character string (for example, the identification number of each wheel 13 itself), or the like.

(4) In the above embodiment, the installation position of the imaging device 32 is set as the stop position P of the transport vehicle 10 in the traveling path R, and the stop position P is further set as the standby position W as an example. It has been explained that the standby position W is set in the inter-station route Re before the branch point of the approaching intra-station route Ra. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the imaging device 32 may be installed in, for example, a maintenance position for performing other inspections of the transport vehicle 10, a correction position for correcting individual differences for each transport vehicle 10, or The charging position and the like in the case where the transport vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery. In addition, it is not limited to the inter-station path Re, and the imaging device 32 may be installed at the stop position P set in the intra-station path Ra. As the stop position P of the route Ra in the platform, for example, the position of the mounting table 22 where the article A can be delivered in the stopped state of the transport vehicle 10 can be exemplified. Alternatively, it is not limited to the stop position P of the transport vehicle 10, and the imaging device 32 may be installed in a curved section, or, for example, when a slow traveling section is set in advance, the imaging device 32 may be installed in the slow traveling section.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, for example, the upper control unit 50 may be configured to perform parts management of the wheel 13 based on the result of the abrasion inspection. More specifically, for example, when the estimated value of the outer diameter D of a certain wheel 13 is determined to be less than the reference diameter, the upper control unit 50 automatically guides and orders the same model as the wheel 13 Arrangements for replacement of wheels, etc. and parts. Alternatively, for example, the upper control unit 50 may be configured to manage the utilization rate of each transport vehicle 10 based on the result of the abrasion inspection. More specifically, for example, when the estimated value of the outer diameter D of a certain wheel 13 has been determined to be less than the reference diameter, the upper control unit 50 may have the wheel 13 before completing the replacement of parts. The utilization rate of the transport vehicle 10 is reduced.

(6) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the information communication between the photographing device 32 and the inspection unit 54 is described as an example in which the information communication is carried out by wired communication. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the information communication between the imaging device 32 and the inspection unit 54 may be performed by wireless communication.

(7) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the description has been given by taking as an example the configuration in which the transport vehicle 10 to be inspected is a rail-mounted ceiling transport vehicle. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a rail-type ground transport vehicle may be used as the inspection target of the inspection system 1. In addition, as long as it can walk along a predetermined walking path, for example, a trackless ground transport vehicle can also be used as the inspection object of the inspection system 1.

(8) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the article A is described as an example of the configuration of the container (FOUP) for accommodating the semiconductor substrate. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the article A may be, for example, a small-sized Reticle Pod that accommodates a retractable mask, or a container that accommodates food, medicines, and the like.

(9) The configuration disclosed in each of the above-mentioned embodiments (including the above-mentioned embodiment and other embodiments, the same hereinafter), as long as there is no contradiction, it is possible to combine and apply the configuration disclosed in the other embodiments. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in every respect, and it is possible to appropriately change them within a range that does not depart from the gist of the present disclosure.

[Summary of Implementation Mode] In summary, it can be seen that the inspection system of the present disclosure preferably has the following configurations.

An inspection system is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and runs along a predetermined traveling path, and includes: identification marks attached to the plurality of wheels Each of the aforementioned wheels on the side of each side has its own unique identification mark; a photographing device, from the side of the aforementioned walking path, photographs the aforementioned wheels of the aforementioned transport vehicle walking on the aforementioned walking path, so as to take the overall image of the wheel Into the imaging range; and the inspection unit, based on the image data of the side surface of the wheel obtained by the imaging device, inspects the degree of wear of the wheel, and also performs individual identification of the wheel that has been inspected.

According to this configuration, as long as the imaging device installed on the side of the walking path is used to photograph the side of the wheel to which the identification mark has been attached, it is possible to inspect the wheel while identifying the individual wheel based on the obtained image data. The degree of wear. According to this, it is possible to efficiently check the degree of wear on each wheel, and to correlate the result with the wheel. In addition, since it is possible to perform both abrasion inspection and individual identification based on image data captured by a common imaging device, it is possible to simplify the system configuration in such a case.

Preferably, as an aspect, the inspection unit detects the outer diameter of the wheel by image processing of the image data, and inspects the degree of wear of the wheel based on the detection value, and by The identification mark is detected from the image data to perform individual identification of the wheel.

According to this configuration, it is possible to use the image processing technology for the image data or the reading technology of the specific mark in the image data to perform the individual identification of the wheel and to check the degree of wear of the wheel well.

Preferably, as an aspect, the aforementioned identification mark includes a two-dimensional barcode.

According to this configuration, using a two-dimensional barcode that can be read regardless of the inclination of the image data, even when the transport vehicle is traveling (the wheel is rotating), the individual wheel can be appropriately identified.

Preferably, as one aspect, the photographing device is installed at a predetermined stop position of the transport vehicle in the traveling path.

According to this configuration, it is possible to read a specific mark in the image data well when the transport vehicle is stopped at the stop position and the wheels are also stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to use a relatively low-cost photographing device, or to improve the accuracy of individual identification of wheels.

Preferably, as an aspect, it is further provided with a transport control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle, and performs information communication between the transport control unit and the transport vehicle through wireless communication, and performs the aforementioned information through wired communication. Information communication between the camera and the aforementioned inspection department.

According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately transmit a command from the transport control unit by wireless communication regardless of the position of the transport vehicle that travels along the traveling path. Regarding the photographing device, since the installation position is basically fixed at a specific position, the image data obtained by photographing can be transmitted to the inspection section without any problem even if it is wired communication. Furthermore, by actually using wired communication, for example, when the frequency band for wireless communication is limited, the frequency band can be vacated in advance for other devices that require wireless communication.

Preferably, as an aspect, the identification mark is a combination of a first identification mark unique to each of the transport vehicles and a second identification mark that shows the placement position of each of the wheels in the transport vehicle. The second identification mark is attached to the side surfaces of all the wheels in accordance with the placement position of the wheel, and the first identification mark is added to the transport vehicle for each transport vehicle. A part of all the aforementioned wheels is the side surface of the aforementioned wheel.

According to this configuration, it is possible to read the first identification mark unique to each transport vehicle, and to read the second identification mark showing the installation position of each wheel in each transport vehicle, and to combine the obtained Information to appropriately identify individual wheels. In addition, for example, it becomes possible to divide the first imaging device that can read the first identification mark and the second imaging device that can read the second identification mark into two parts and install them on both sides of the walking path. In this case, by using a photographing device with lower performance than the first photographing device as the second photographing device, compared to the configuration of installing high-performance photographing devices on both sides of the walking path , It is possible to reduce the cost of the entire system.

Preferably, as an aspect, the photographing device is provided only on one side of the two sides of the walking path, and is provided with: a first optical path connecting the photographing device and the wheel on the side where the photographing device is installed The second optical path connects the photographing device through a plurality of mirrors and the wheel on the side opposite to the side where the photographing device is installed; and the optical path switching device is arranged at the branch of the first optical path and the second optical path , By using the time division of the optical path switching device to simultaneously obtain the image data of the side surfaces of each of the wheels on one of the two sides with respect to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle.

According to this configuration, it is possible to use an optical system constructed using a plurality of mirrors and light path switching devices, and to use a common imaging device installed on one side of the walking path to pair one pair located on both sides with respect to the direction of travel. The side of each wheel is photographed. According to this, compared to a configuration in which two imaging devices are divided into two parts and installed on both sides of the walking path, the cost of the entire system can be reduced.

The inspection system of the present disclosure only needs to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

1‧‧‧Inspection system2‧‧‧Item transport equipment6‧‧‧Traveling rail8‧‧‧Guiding rail10‧‧‧Transporting vehicle 11‧‧‧Traveling body12‧‧‧Car body 13‧‧‧Wheels 14 ‧‧‧Guide roller 14D. 31. ‧Two-dimensional barcode 40A‧‧‧First identification mark 40B‧‧‧Second identification mark 45‧‧‧Geometric mark 50 Image data acquisition unit 56‧‧‧Individual identification unit 57‧‧‧Image processing unit 58‧‧‧Determination unit 59‧‧‧Notification unit 60‧‧‧Display device 70‧‧‧Optical system 71‧‧‧First Light path 72‧‧‧Second light path 74‧‧‧Mirror 76‧‧‧Optical path switching device A‧‧‧Item B‧‧‧Branch D‧‧‧Outer diameter E‧‧‧Contour line P‧‧‧Stop position R ‧‧‧Walking path Ra‧‧‧Intra-platform path Re‧‧‧Inter-platform path S‧‧‧Shooting range I‧‧‧Image data W‧‧‧Standby position

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conveying path of an article conveying device equipped with an inspection system. Fig. 2 is a side view of the ceiling transport vehicle. Fig. 3 is a front view of the ceiling transport vehicle at the inspection position. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the state of the ceiling transport vehicle at the branch point of the transport path. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the side surfaces of each wheel of the ceiling transport vehicle. Figure 6 is a block diagram of the control system. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of wheel wear inspection. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the side surfaces of each wheel of a ceiling transport vehicle in another aspect. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of another aspect of the inspection system. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the side surface of each wheel of the ceiling transport vehicle of another aspect.

13‧‧‧Wheel

40‧‧‧Identification mark

41‧‧‧2-dimensional barcode

D‧‧‧Outer diameter

E‧‧‧Contour

I‧‧‧Image data

S‧‧‧Standby position

Claims (6)

An inspection system is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and traveling along a predetermined traveling path, and includes the following: an identification mark is attached to the plurality of wheels Each of the side surfaces of each of the aforementioned wheels has its own unique identification mark; and a photographing device, from the side of the aforementioned travel path, photographs the aforementioned wheels of the aforementioned transport vehicle walking on the aforementioned travel path, so as to capture the entirety of the wheel In the imaging range, the inspection system has the following characteristics: it has an inspection unit that inspects the degree of wear of the wheel based on the image data of the side surface of the wheel obtained by the photographing device, and In addition, the individual identification of the wheel that has been inspected is performed. The inspection unit detects the outer diameter of the wheel by image processing on the image data, and checks the degree of wear of the wheel based on the detection value. And by detecting the identification mark from the image data, the individual identification of the wheel is performed. An inspection system is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and traveling along a predetermined traveling path, and includes the following: an identification mark is attached to the plurality of wheels Each of the side surfaces of each of the aforementioned wheels has its own unique identification mark; and a photographing device, from the side of the aforementioned walking path, photographs the aforementioned wheels of the aforementioned conveying vehicle walking on the aforementioned walking path, so as to The whole image is taken within the photographing range. The inspection system has the following characteristics: it has an inspection unit that inspects the degree of wear of the wheel based on the image data of the side of the wheel obtained by the photographing device, and The individual identification of the wheel that has been the inspection target is performed together, and the imaging device is installed at a predetermined stop position of the transport vehicle in the traveling path. An inspection system is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and traveling along a predetermined traveling path, and includes the following: an identification mark is attached to the plurality of wheels Each of the side surfaces of each of the aforementioned wheels has its own unique identification mark; and a photographing device, from the side of the aforementioned travel path, photographs the aforementioned wheels of the aforementioned transport vehicle walking on the aforementioned travel path, so as to capture the entirety of the wheel In the imaging range, the inspection system has the following characteristics: it has an inspection unit that inspects the degree of wear of the wheel based on the image data of the side surface of the wheel obtained by the photographing device, and In addition, the inspection system is further equipped with a transport control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle, and performs information communication between the transport control unit and the transport vehicle through wireless communication. The information communication between the photographing device and the inspection unit is carried out by wired communication. An inspection system that will have multiple wheels and An inspection system for a transport vehicle that runs along a predetermined traveling path to inspect the degree of deterioration of the aforementioned wheels, and is equipped with the following: an identification mark is attached to each of the plurality of the aforementioned wheels on the side of each of the aforementioned wheels. A unique identification mark; and a photographing device, which photographs the wheel of the transport vehicle walking on the travel path from the side of the travel path, so as to take the overall image of the wheel into the photographing range. The inspection system has The following feature: an inspection unit is provided, which inspects the degree of wear of the wheel based on the image data of the side surface of the wheel obtained by the photographing device, and also performs the individual inspection of the wheel that has been inspected Specifically, the aforementioned identification mark is composed of a combination of a first identification mark unique to each of the transport vehicles and a second identification mark showing the installation position of each of the aforementioned wheels in the transport vehicle, and combines the aforementioned second identification mark Identification marks are attached to the side surfaces of all the wheels in accordance with the installation positions of the wheels, and the first identification mark is attached to some of all the wheels of the transport vehicle for each transport vehicle. The side of the aforementioned wheel. An inspection system is an inspection system for inspecting the degree of deterioration of the wheels with a transport vehicle that has a plurality of wheels and traveling along a predetermined traveling path, and includes the following: an identification mark is attached to the plurality of wheels Each of the side of each of the aforementioned wheels has its own unique identification mark; and the photographing device, from the side of the aforementioned walking path, to walk on the aforementioned row The wheels of the transport vehicle traveling along the path are photographed to capture the overall image of the wheels within the photographing range. The inspection system has the following characteristics: an inspection unit is provided, and the inspection unit is based on the aforementioned imaging device obtained by The image data of the side surface of the wheel is checked for the degree of wear of the wheel, and the individual identification of the wheel that has been the object of the inspection is also performed. The photographing device is only installed on one side of the two sides of the walking path, and The inspection system includes: a first optical path connecting the photographing device and the wheel on the side where the photographing device is installed; a second optical path connecting the photographing device through a plurality of mirrors and being opposite to the side where the photographing device is installed And the optical path switching device is provided at the branch of the first optical path and the second optical path, and by using the time division of the optical path switching device to simultaneously obtain the position relative to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle Image data of the side of each of the aforementioned wheels on one of the two sides. Such as the inspection system of any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the aforementioned identification mark includes a two-dimensional barcode.

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