WO2015033923A1

WO2015033923A1 - Edge examination device for blade and edge examination method for blade

Info

Publication number: WO2015033923A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/073045
Authority: WO
Inventors: 佐也加大西
Original assignee: バンドー化学株式会社
Priority date: 2013-09-09
Filing date: 2014-09-02
Publication date: 2015-03-12

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an edge examination device for a blade and an edge examination method for a blade by which the edge defects of an elastic blade can be easily and reliably detected. The present invention is an edge examination device for a blade that is for examining the condition of the edge of an elastic blade, wherein the edge examination device for a blade is characterized by being provided with the following: a support base onto which the elastic blade is installed; a coating means for coating a lubricant onto the edge of the elastic blade; and a detection means for detecting the shape of the edge of the elastic blade by using a probe. The edge of the elastic blade has on the end thereof a chamfered surface of a chamfered angle that is roughly right-angled. It is preferable for the detection means to have the following: a first probe that comes into contact with the chamfered surface of the edge; a second probe that comes into contact with the chamfered surface of the edge and the angle section of one flat surface; and a third probe that comes into contact with the chamfered surface of the edge and the angle section of the other flat surface. It is preferable for the tip of the first probe, second probe, and third probe to be formed in a roughly triangular columnar shape having a roughly isosceles triangle-shaped cross section in which the apex angle is rounded.

Description

Blade edge inspection apparatus and blade edge inspection method

The present invention relates to a blade edge inspection apparatus and a blade edge inspection method.

Wiper blades used in automobiles and the like are generally formed of elastic rubber, and a chamfered surface is formed on an edge that contacts the wiping surface. The wiper blade wipes rainwater and the like mainly by corners (ridge lines) between the chamfered surface and the double surface of the edge. Therefore, the quality of the chamfered surface and the corner greatly affects the function of the wiper blade.

Incidentally, a cleaning blade for scraping toner, such as a copying machine or a printer, has a corner portion at the edge in order to exhibit a scraping function like the wiper blade, and the quality of this corner portion affects the function. Accordingly, an apparatus for inspecting the presence or absence of defects at the corners of such a cleaning blade has been devised (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-5365). This inspection apparatus detects the shape of a corner with a stylus after cleaning the corner of a cleaning blade with a cleaning liquid.

On the other hand, since the wiper blade is softer and has a higher surface friction coefficient than the cleaning blade as described above, the conventional inspection apparatus tends to be insufficiently detected by the stylus. That is, the inspection device converts the contact pressure fluctuation of the stylus with respect to the inspection object (blade) into a voltage, and determines a defect (unevenness) based on the magnitude, but if the friction coefficient of the inspection object is high, the contact portion is touched. Deformation occurs following the needle, and the noise of contact pressure fluctuation increases, so that it is difficult to determine the defect.

JP-A-8-5365

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a blade edge inspection device and a blade edge inspection method capable of easily and reliably detecting an edge defect of an elastic blade.

In response to the above problems, the present inventors have found that by applying a lubricant to the edge surface of the elastic blade, the frictional resistance of the edge surface of the elastic blade can be reduced, and noise in contact pressure fluctuation of the stylus can be reduced. .

That is, the invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a blade edge inspection device for inspecting the shape of the edge of an elastic blade, comprising a support base on which the elastic blade is installed, and a lubricant on the edge of the elastic blade. And a detecting means for detecting the shape of the edge of the elastic blade with a stylus.

The blade edge inspection device includes a coating means for applying a lubricant to the edge of an elastic blade for inspecting a defect, and the stylus is brought into contact with the edge of the elastic blade coated with the lubricant. The noise of contact pressure fluctuation can be reduced. As a result, the edge inspection apparatus for blades can easily and reliably detect defects on the edge of the elastic blade.

The edge of the elastic blade has a chamfered surface with a substantially right chamfering angle at the tip, and the detection means includes a first stylus contacting the chamfered surface of the edge, a chamfered surface of the edge, and one It is good to have the 2nd stylus which contacts the corner | angular part of this abdominal surface, and the 3rd stylus which contacts the chamfering surface of the said edge, and the corner | angular part of the other abdominal surface. When the edge of the elastic blade has the chamfered surface, the edge inspection device for the blade can measure the edge quality of the elastic blade by measuring the corners of the chamfered surface and the abdominal surface with the stylus. Management can be performed reliably. The “substantially right angle” means 85 ° or more and 95 ° or less.

The tip portions of the first stylus, the second stylus, and the third stylus are preferably formed in a substantially triangular prism shape or a substantially conical shape having a substantially isosceles triangular section with a rounded apex angle. By configuring the shapes of the tip portions of the first stylus, the second stylus, and the third stylus in this way, the blade edge inspection device can further reduce the noise of contact pressure fluctuation. The “substantially isosceles triangle” is a concept including an isosceles triangle having a roundness (curvature) at the apex angle in addition to a so-called isosceles triangle in which all three sides are formed by straight lines.

The radius of curvature of the cross-sectional tip of the first stylus is preferably larger than the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional tips of the second and third styluses. Thus, by making the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional tip of the first stylus larger than the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional tip of the second stylus and the third stylus, the blade edge inspection device is capable of chamfering and corners of the edge. The occurrence of inspection defects can be prevented while further reducing the noise of contact pressure fluctuation in each of them.

¡The lubricant is preferably a non-volatile liquid. In this way, by applying a non-volatile liquid as a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade, the blade edge inspection apparatus more reliably reduces the frictional resistance at the time of the stylus and further increases the noise of the contact pressure fluctuation. Can be reduced.

The contact pressure of the stylus may be converted into a voltage, and it may be further provided with a determination unit that determines the defect of the edge of the elastic blade based on the level of the voltage. By providing such a determination means, the blade edge inspection apparatus can easily and reliably determine the edge defect of the elastic blade from the detection result (contact pressure fluctuation) obtained from the detection means.

It is preferable that the support base is provided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade. By providing the support base in a movable manner in this way, the blade edge inspection apparatus can detect the shape of the edge of the elastic blade more reliably than when the stylus is movable.

The elastic blade is preferably an elastomer wiper blade. The blade edge inspection apparatus can suitably inspect edge defects for a wiper blade that is relatively flexible.

Another invention made to solve the above problems is a blade edge inspection method for inspecting the shape of the edge of an elastic blade, the step of installing the elastic blade on a support base, and the support base A step of applying a lubricant to the edge of the installed elastic blade, a step of bringing the stylus into contact with the edge of the elastic blade coated with the lubricant, and moving the elastic blade relative to the stylus in the longitudinal direction. And a process.

In the blade edge inspection method, the lubricant is applied to the edge of the elastic blade to be inspected for defects, and the stylus is brought into contact with the edge of the elastic blade coated with the lubricant. Noise can be reduced. As a result, the blade edge inspection method can easily and reliably detect defects on the edge of the elastic blade.

As described above, according to the blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method of the present invention, it is possible to easily and reliably detect the edge defect of the elastic blade. Therefore, the blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method of the present invention can be suitably used, for example, for quality inspection of wiper blades.

It is a typical front view showing the edge inspection device for blades concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the contact state of the stylus to the elastic blade in the blade edge inspection apparatus of FIG. 1 from the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade, and (a) is a schematic diagram showing the contact state of the stylus of the first stylus part. (B) is a schematic diagram showing the contact state of the stylus of the second stylus part, (c) is a schematic diagram showing the contact state of the stylus of the third stylus part. It is typical explanatory drawing which shows the stylus part of the edge inspection apparatus for blades of FIG. (A) is a typical front view which shows the shape of the stylus of the stylus part of the edge inspection apparatus for blades of FIG. 1, (b) is a schematic side view. (A) is a graph which shows an example of the voltage signal which converted the contact pressure of a stylus, (b) is the graph which binarized the voltage signal of (a). (A) is a graph which shows the voltage signal of the measurement result of Example 1, (b) is a graph which shows the voltage signal of the measurement result of the comparative example 1.

<Blade edge inspection device>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the blade edge inspection apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

The blade edge inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a base 1, a support base 2 that is mounted on the base 1 and on which an elastic blade A is installed, and a coating means 3 that applies a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade A. Detection means 4 for detecting the shape of the edge of the elastic blade A with a stylus, and determination means for converting a contact pressure of the stylus into a voltage and determining a defect of the edge of the elastic blade A based on the voltage level (Not shown).

(Elastic blade)
The elastic blade A inspected by the blade edge inspection apparatus is not particularly limited as long as it is formed of an elastic body and has an edge extending in the longitudinal direction. Examples of the elastic body forming the elastic blade A include elastomers such as natural rubber and synthetic rubber.

The blade edge inspection apparatus can suitably perform shape inspection even on an elastic blade having a relatively soft and high friction coefficient by the coating means 3 described later. Specifically, the blade edge inspection device is suitable for an elastic blade having a hardness of 50 ° or more and 60 ° or less measured using a type A durometer according to JIS-K-6253-3 (2012). Can be used. Examples of such an elastic blade include a wiper blade of an automobile or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic blade A used in the present embodiment includes a first plane A1 (upper surface in FIG. 2) which is a chamfered surface having a chamfering angle substantially perpendicular to the tip, and the first plane A1. The edge has a second plane A2 and a third plane A3, which are abdominal surfaces connected to the longitudinal ends. The first plane A1, the second plane A2, and the third plane A3 intersect at a substantially right angle, and these intersecting portions form a first corner A4 and a second corner A5, respectively. The average width of the first plane A1 (the average distance between the second plane A2 and the third plane A3) is, for example, not less than 0.1 mm and not more than 5 mm. Further, the elastic blade A has an overall shape in which a plurality of flat branch portions extend symmetrically from the base connected to the edge.

(Base)
The base 1 has a rectangular upper surface, on which a support base 2, a coating means 3, a detection means 4 and the like, which will be described later, are arranged. The base 1 is provided with a linear guide 1a on the upper surface, and a support base 2 to be described later is installed so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the base 1 (left and right in FIG. 1) along the linear guide 1a. . The linear guide 1 a extends on the upper surface of the base 1 from an elastic blade installation position P (described later) to an elastic blade selection position S.

(Support stand)
The support table 2 is a table on which the elastic blade A is installed. Specifically, the support base 2 is formed so that the elastic blade A can be detachably fixed as shown in FIG. 2, and when the elastic blade A is installed, the edge of the elastic blade A protrudes upward in the vertical direction. The elastic blade A is supported so that the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade A coincides with the extending direction of the linear guide 1a. At this time, the elastic blade A is supported so that the first plane A1 is horizontal. The support base 2 is installed on the upper surface of the base 1 so as to be movable along the linear guide 1a. That is, the support base 2 is provided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade A.

As a specific configuration of the support base 2 for fixing the elastic blade A, for example, a bottom surface portion 2a on which the elastic blade A is placed, and a pair of side walls 2b connected to the bottom surface portion 2a and sandwiching the elastic blade A, 2c, and one side wall 2b can fall outward. In this configuration, before attaching the elastic blade A, the one side wall 2b is set in a lying state, and after placing the elastic blade A on the bottom surface portion 2a, the one side wall 2b is brought into an upright state so that the elastic blade A is It can be clamped and fixed with the other side wall 2c. The operation of the side wall can be performed using an air cylinder, for example.

Further, the support base 2 can be reciprocated along the linear guide 1a by a mechanism combining a drive motor and a belt, a mechanism combining a drive motor and a feed screw, or the like.

(Coating means)
The coating means 3 mainly includes a coating brush 3a, a lubricant tank 3b, a tube 3c, and a cock 3d, and the lubricant supplied from the lubricant tank 3b is installed on the support base 2 by the coating brush 3a. Apply to the edge of the elastic blade A.

The coating brush 3a is fixed with a fixing tool (not shown) such as a clamp so that the tip of the coating brush 3a comes into contact with the edge of the elastic blade A installed on the support base 2. The coating brush 3a is preferably arranged so that the tip thereof faces the traveling direction (right side in FIG. 1) of the elastic blade A from the viewpoint of easy and reliable application of the lubricant. As the coating brush 3a, a known brush can be used.

The lubricant tank 3b is disposed above the base 1 by being fixed to the support column 3e, and stores the lubricant therein. A discharge port is provided on the lower surface of the lubricant tank 3b, and one end of a tube 3c is connected to the discharge port. Although the capacity | capacitance of the lubricant tank 3b can be designed suitably, it can be 0.1L or more and 10L or less, for example.

The tube 3c is a pipe that supplies the lubricant in the lubricant tank 3b to the coating brush 3a. One end of the tube 3c is connected to the outlet of the lubricant tank 3b, and the other end is disposed near the tip of the coating brush 3a. Has been. The other end of the tube 3c may be brought into contact with the coating brush 3a so that the lubricant can be supplied more reliably. As this tube 3c, the thing made from a synthetic resin can be used, for example.

The cock 3d adjusts the amount of lubricant supplied and is provided in the middle of the tube 3c. For example, a roller clamp can be used as the cock 3d.

As the lubricant used in the blade edge inspection apparatus, one that does not contaminate the elastic blade A is preferable. Examples of such a lubricant include alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol, solutions containing detergents, soapy water, water, a mixture of alcohol and water (for example, a mixture of methanol and water by 50% by mass), and the like. Can be mentioned. Moreover, since it is difficult to obtain the effects of the present invention when the lubricant evaporates immediately after coating, it is preferable to use a non-volatile liquid such as water or a solution using water as a solvent.

(Detection means)
The detection means 4 includes a first stylus portion 4a that contacts the first plane A1 of the elastic blade A, and a second stylus that contacts the first corner A4 formed by the first plane A1 and the second plane A2. A portion 4b, a third stylus portion 4c that contacts a second corner portion A5 formed by the first plane A1 and the third plane A3, and a stylus portion support 4d that supports these stylus portions. Has mainly.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first stylus portion 4a includes a stylus cartridge 14a, a stylus 14b attached to the tip of the stylus cartridge 14a, and a frame 14c that supports the stylus cartridge 14a. The connecting portion 14d is connected to the stylus support 4d. As shown in FIG. 3, a frame 14c and a stylus cartridge 14a are attached to one end of the connecting portion 14d. The other end of the connecting portion 14d extends in the vertical direction, and the stylus support shown in FIG. 4d. In addition, the stylus cartridge 14a has a lead wire 14e that transmits a fluctuating pressure from the stylus 14b to a determination unit described later. One end of the lead wire 14e is connected to the stylus 14b, and the other end is connected to the determination means via the connecting portion 14d.

The first stylus part 4a is for detecting the shape of the first plane A1 of the elastic blade A, and the tip of the stylus 14b is placed on the first plane A1 of the elastic blade A as shown in FIG. The parts come into contact with each other so as to abut in parallel. The first stylus part 4a is connected to the stylus part support 4d so as to be movable in the extending direction of the connecting part 14d, and can be moved in the extending direction (vertical direction) of the connecting part 14d by, for example, a pin cylinder. . By the movement of the first stylus 4a, the stylus 14b can be brought into perpendicular contact with the first plane A1.

The stylus 14b is attached to the stylus cartridge 14a so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The stylus 14b scans the first plane A1 by bringing the stylus 14b into contact with the first plane A1 at a constant pressure and moving the elastic blade A in the longitudinal direction. If the first plane A1 is uneven, the stylus 14b is displaced up and down, and this contact pressure fluctuation is transmitted to the determination means described later.

The contact load of the stylus 14b on the elastic blade A is not particularly limited as long as the contact pressure fluctuation can be confirmed, but may be, for example, 0.1 g or more and 10 g or less.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the stylus 14b of the first stylus 4a (contact portion with the elastic blade A) has a substantially isosceles triangular cross section whose apex angle contacting the elastic blade A is rounded. It is formed in a substantially triangular prism shape. Specifically, the tip portion of the stylus 14b has a substantially triangular prism shape whose height direction coincides with the width direction of the edge of the elastic blade A (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade A and parallel to the first plane A1). The triangular prism has a bottom surface of a substantially isosceles triangle, and the vertex of the isosceles triangle is in contact with the elastic blade A. That is, the tip of the stylus 14b is configured to contact the first flat surface A1 of the elastic blade A in the vicinity of the intersection of the two rectangular side surfaces among the three rectangular side surfaces constituting the triangular prism. By forming the stylus 14b in such a shape, the uneven shape in the longitudinal direction at the edge of the elastic blade A can be detected easily and reliably.

The lower limit of the apex angle α of the isosceles triangle in the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the stylus 14b is preferably 60 °, more preferably 80 °, and even more preferably 85 °. On the other hand, the upper limit of the apex angle α of the isosceles triangle is preferably 100 °, more preferably 95 °. The apex angle α of the isosceles triangle is particularly preferably 90 °. When the apex angle α of the isosceles triangle is less than the lower limit, the pressure of the stylus 14b is increased and noise may increase. On the contrary, when the apex angle α of the isosceles triangle exceeds the upper limit, the area where the stylus 14b contacts the elastic blade A is increased, which may cause a detection defect.

Also, the apex portion of the isosceles triangle in the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the stylus 14b of the first stylus 4a (intersection of two rectangular side surfaces in the triangular prism) has a roundness as described above. As a result, the contact resistance between the stylus 14b and the elastic blade A can be further reduced to further remove noise. The lower limit of the radius of curvature (R) of this roundness is preferably 5 μm, more preferably 20 μm, and even more preferably 40 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the radius of curvature is preferably 110 μm, more preferably 80 μm, and even more preferably 60 μm. When the curvature radius is less than the lower limit, the noise reduction effect may not be sufficiently obtained. On the contrary, when the radius of curvature exceeds the upper limit, the area where the stylus 14b contacts the elastic blade A is increased, which may cause a detection defect.

The width W of the stylus 14b of the first stylus portion 4a in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade A (the left-right direction in FIG. 4) is larger than the thickness of the edge of the elastic blade A (the width of the first plane A1). If it is large, it will not specifically limit, For example, it is 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

The stylus 14b constituting the first stylus portion 4a is used for an analog record player or the like, and preferably capable of detecting pressure fluctuations in two directions perpendicular to each other at 45 ° with respect to the contact direction.

The second stylus part 4b is for detecting the shape of the first corner part A4 of the elastic blade A, and the configuration thereof is the same as that of the first stylus part 4a. However, as shown in FIG. 2B, the second stylus portion 4b is in contact with the first corner portion A4 of the elastic blade A with the tip of the stylus 14b being inclined at a certain angle from the vertical direction. The contact pressure to the first corner A4 of the needle 14b is configured to be applied in this contact direction. Therefore, the connection part 14d of the second stylus part 4b extends in this contact direction, and is connected to the stylus part support 4d at an angle different from the first stylus part 4a (an angle inclined from the vertical direction). Yes. Moreover, the 2nd stylus part 4b is comprised by the pin cylinder, for example so that a movement in the extending | stretching direction of the connection part 14d is possible. As a result, the stylus 14b can be brought into contact with the first corner A4 in the contact direction, and contact pressure can be applied to the first corner A4 in the contact direction of the stylus 14b, not in the vertical direction. it can.

The lower limit of the contact angle θ of the second stylus part 4b with respect to the first corner part A4 of the second stylus part 4b on the basis of the vertical direction is preferably 35 °, more preferably 40 °. On the other hand, the upper limit of the contact angle θ is preferably 55 °, more preferably 50 °. The contact angle θ is particularly preferably 45 °. That is, the inner bisector of the first corner portion A4 and the contact direction of the second stylus portion 4b are preferably matched. By setting the contact angle θ to 45 °, it is possible to transmit pressure fluctuations of substantially the same magnitude in two perpendicular pressure fluctuation detection directions (R direction and L direction) of the stylus 14b, and the blade edge inspection. It is possible to improve the accuracy of detecting a defect in the apparatus. On the contrary, when the contact angle θ exceeds the upper limit or less than the lower limit, the pressure fluctuation is not transmitted uniformly in the R direction and the L direction, and the defect detection accuracy may be insufficient. The contact angle of the second stylus part 4b to the first corner A4 of the stylus 14b is the contact edge of the stylus 14b with the first corner A4 in a plane perpendicular to the first plane A1. It means the angle formed by a line perpendicular to the vertical direction.

The third stylus portion 4c is for detecting the shape of the second corner portion A5 of the elastic blade A, and the configuration thereof is the same as that of the first stylus portion 4a and the second stylus portion 4b. However, as shown in FIG. 2C, the third stylus portion 4c contacts the second corner portion A5 of the elastic blade A in a direction in which the tip end of the stylus 14b is inclined at a certain angle from the vertical direction, The contact pressure to the second corner A5 of the stylus 14b is configured to be applied in this contact direction. Therefore, the connection part 14d of the third stylus part 4c extends in this contact direction, and is connected at an angle symmetrical to the second stylus part 4b with the first stylus part 4a sandwiched between the stylus part support 4d. Has been. Moreover, the 3rd stylus part 4c is comprised by the pin cylinder, for example so that a movement in the extending | stretching direction of the connection part 14d is possible. Accordingly, the stylus 14b can be brought into contact with the second corner A5 in the contact direction, and contact pressure can be applied to the second corner A5 in the contact direction of the stylus 14b, not in the vertical direction. it can.

The contact angle of the third stylus part 4c with the second corner part A5 of the stylus 14b can be the same as that of the second stylus part 4b.

In addition, since the stylus 14b of the second stylus 4b and the third stylus 4c is in contact with the corner (ridgeline) of the elastic blade A, the isosceles triangle in the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the stylus 14b. The radius of curvature (R) of the roundness of the apex portion is preferably smaller than that of the first stylus portion 4a. That is, in the second stylus part 4b and the third stylus part 4c, the lower limit of the radius of curvature is preferably 1 μm, and more preferably 5 μm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the radius of curvature is preferably 20 μm and more preferably 10 μm. When the curvature radius is less than the lower limit, the noise reduction effect may not be sufficiently obtained. On the contrary, when the radius of curvature exceeds the upper limit, the area where the stylus 14b contacts the elastic blade A is increased, which may cause a detection defect.

The first stylus part 4a, the second stylus part 4b, and the third stylus part 4c are preferably covered with a cover such as acrylic that can be opened and closed for safety. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a control mechanism that allows the support base 2 to move only when the cover is closed.

(Judgment means)
The determination means converts the contact pressure detected by each of the stylus parts into a voltage using a piezoelectric acceleration detector, and further determines the defect of the edge of the elastic blade A based on the level of the voltage. Specifically, the determination means first amplifies the voltage obtained by the piezoelectric acceleration detector from the contact pressure by a signal amplifier, and generates a voltage signal X as shown in FIG. obtain. Next, when the absolute value of the voltage signal X is higher than the preset reference voltage Y, the determination means determines that this portion is a defect and determines the elastic blade A that has measured this signal as a defective product. . The determination means sets a portion (defective portion) where the absolute value of the voltage signal X is higher than the reference voltage Y to “1” and a portion where the absolute value of the voltage signal X is lower than the reference voltage Y (normal portion). A binarized signal as shown in FIG. 5 (b) is obtained using a binarization converter that converts “1” to “0”.

Further, the determination unit may include a storage device that stores data such as a position where a defect is detected and a stylus part (measurement part). With such a storage device, it is possible to statistically find places where defects are likely to occur, and the quality can be improved by feeding back to the manufacturing process of the elastic blade A.

(Control means)
The blade edge inspection apparatus includes control means (not shown) for controlling the movement of the support base 2, the movement of the stylus 14b and the like in addition to the above-described components. As this control means, a known control device can be used.

<Blade edge inspection method>
Next, an embodiment of the blade edge inspection method of the present invention will be described in detail.

The blade edge inspection method includes a step of installing an elastic blade on a support base, a step of applying a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade installed on the support base, and an edge of the elastic blade coated with the lubricant And a step of moving the elastic blade relative to the plurality of styluses in the longitudinal direction. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the blade edge inspection method will be described using the blade edge inspection apparatus described above.

(Elastic blade installation process)
In the elastic blade installation step, the elastic blade A is mounted on the support 2 and installed. This installation operation is performed at the elastic blade installation position P. This elastic blade installation position P is located on one end side (left end side in FIG. 1) of the linear guide 1a. After the installation of the elastic blade A on the support base 2 is completed, the support base 2 starts moving toward the other end side (traveling direction) along the linear guide 1a by pressing a start switch (not shown). . For the sake of safety, this start switch is preferably of a type in which an operator operates two switches spaced apart above the elastic blade installation position P simultaneously with both hands. By using such a start switch, it is possible to prevent the support base 2 from moving while an operator keeps one hand in contact with the support base 2 or the like.

(Lubricant coating process)
In the lubricant application step, the lubricant is applied to the first plane A1, the first corner A4 and the second corner A5 of the elastic blade A by the coating means 3. This lubricant coating process is performed in the lubricant coating region Q. The lubricant coating area Q is located in the traveling direction of the support base 2 at the elastic blade installation position P, and the elastic blade A installed on the support base 2 moves on the lubricant coating area Q. The coating brush 3a contacts and scans in the longitudinal direction with respect to the edge including the first plane A1, the first corner A4, and the second corner A5, and the lubricant is applied.

(First stylus contact process)
In the first stylus contact step, the stylus 14b of the first stylus portion 4a is brought into contact with the first plane A1 of the elastic blade A coated with the lubricant. Specifically, when the longitudinal tip of the elastic blade A that has passed through the lubricant coating region Q reaches below the first stylus portion 4a, the stylus 14b is moved downward to come into contact with the elastic blade A. Let The position of the elastic blade A can be detected by, for example, a limit switch or an optical sensor. In addition, in order to improve the contact accuracy of the stylus 14b to the detection start position of the elastic blade A, sequence control for moving the stylus 14b while stopping or retracting the support base 2 after detecting the position of the elastic blade A. May be performed.

(Second stylus contact process)
In the second stylus contact step, the stylus 14b of the second stylus portion 4b is brought into contact with the first corner A4 of the elastic blade A coated with the lubricant. Specifically, the stylus 14b has been described above when the longitudinal tip of the elastic blade A, which is in contact with the first stylus portion 4a in the first stylus contact step, reaches below the second stylus portion 4b. It is moved downward at an inclination angle and brought into contact with the elastic blade A.

(Third stylus contact process)
In the third stylus contact step, the stylus 14b of the third stylus portion 4c is brought into contact with the second corner portion A5 of the elastic blade A coated with the lubricant. Specifically, the stylus 14b is described above when the longitudinal tip of the elastic blade A, which is in contact with the second stylus part 4b in the second stylus contact process, reaches below the third stylus part 4c. It is moved downward at an inclination angle and brought into contact with the elastic blade A.

(Stylus relative movement process)
In the stylus relative movement process, the elastic blade A in contact with the first stylus part 4a, the second stylus part 4b, and the third stylus part 4c is relatively moved with respect to these stylus parts along the longitudinal direction. Move. Thereby, the shape of the edge (the first plane A1, the first corner A4 and the second corner A5) of the elastic blade A is detected. The relative movement of the elastic blade A is performed in the detection region R located in the traveling direction of the lubricant coating region Q. The second stylus contact process and the third stylus contact process are performed in parallel with the stylus relative movement process. In addition, the moving speed of the elastic blade A (support base 2) in the stylus relative movement process is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 50 mm / s or more and 1000 mm / s or less.

In the stylus relative movement process, when the rear end in the longitudinal direction of the elastic blade A reaches below each stylus part, each stylus part moves the stylus 14b upward, Release contact. The means for detecting the position of the elastic blade A at this time can be the same as in the stylus contact step.

(Selection process)
In the selection process, first, the contact pressure obtained from each stylus part is converted into a voltage signal by the determining means for the elastic blade A that has passed the detection region R, and the absolute value of the voltage signal is determined from a preset reference voltage. The elastic blade A having a higher portion (defect portion) is determined as a defective product, and the elastic blade A having no such defective portion is determined as a non-defective product. At this time, the voltage signal is also converted into a binary signal. Next, the elastic blade A determined to be a non-defective product by the determination means is moved to a non-defective product discharge location, and the elastic blade A determined to be a non-defective product is moved to the defective product discharge location for selection. Specifically, for example, the non-defective elastic blade A is left as it is at the elastic blade selection position S located in the traveling direction of the detection region R, and the defective elastic blade A moves the support base 2 from the elastic blade selection position S. By moving the elastic blade A in the reverse direction and returning the elastic blade A to the elastic blade installation position P, it is possible to select a good product and a defective product. In this case, the labor of the operation can be reduced by automatically detaching the elastic blade A by the control means at a predetermined position. As a method for detaching the elastic blade A, for example, a method in which one side wall 2b of the support base 2 is laid down and air is sent from pores provided in the other side wall 2c can be used.

<Advantages>
The blade edge inspection apparatus includes a coating means 3 for applying a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade A for inspecting a defect, and the edge of the elastic blade A (first plane A1, first plane) coated with the lubricant. Since the stylus 14b is brought into contact with the corner portion A4 and the second corner portion A5), it is possible to reduce noise due to contact pressure fluctuation of the stylus 14b. As a result, the edge inspection apparatus for blades can easily and reliably detect defects on the edge of the elastic blade A.

Further, the blade edge inspection apparatus includes a first stylus portion 4a on the first plane A1 of the edge of the elastic blade A, a second stylus portion 4b on the first corner portion A4, and a third contact on the second corner portion A5. Since the needle parts 4c are brought into contact with each other at the same time, the inspection process time can be reduced while improving the accuracy of quality control. Further, since it is possible to measure the two corners of the edge without changing the posture of the elastic blade A, the apparatus can be simplified and the number of workers can be saved. As a result, the blade edge inspection apparatus can significantly improve the manufacturing efficiency of the elastic blade A.

Moreover, the blade edge inspection apparatus can determine the edge defect of the elastic blade A easily and reliably from the detection result (contact pressure fluctuation) obtained from the detection unit 4 by including the determination unit. In addition, since the blade edge inspection apparatus is provided so that the support base 2 can be moved, the edge shape of the elastic blade A can be detected more reliably than when the stylus is movable.

<Other embodiments>
The blade edge inspection apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, in the above embodiment, the number of stylus parts (stylus) is three, but the number of stylus parts may be singular or may be four or more. Moreover, when there are a plurality of stylus parts, these stylus parts may be contacted one by one without contacting the elastic blade at the same time.

In the above embodiment, the tip of the stylus has a substantially triangular prism shape having a substantially isosceles triangular cross section, but the shape of the tip of the stylus is not limited to this. In particular, the tip of the stylus of the second stylus part and the third stylus part to be brought into contact with the corner (ridgeline) of the edge may be formed in a substantially conical shape (a shape forming a part of a cone).

Furthermore, the determination means of the blade edge inspection apparatus is not limited to the one that converts the contact pressure of the stylus into a voltage, and a determination means that converts the contact pressure into another physical quantity may be used.

In the above embodiment, the elastic blade is installed on the support base and moved relative to the coating means and the detection means. However, the elastic blade is fixed and the coating means or detection means is moved relative to the elastic blade. The blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method configured as described above are also within the intended scope of the present invention.

The inspection object of the blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method is not limited to the wiper blade. The blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method can suitably inspect defects on various blade-like objects formed of an elastic body such as a cleaning blade of a copying machine or a printer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[Example 1]
Using the blade edge inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the second corner of a wiper blade (edge width 0.6 mm, length 525 mm) having a defect in a part of the edge was inspected. In this inspection, after applying the lubricant to the surface of the second corner by the above-described coating means, the contact angle of the stylus of the third stylus to the second corner is 45 °. It was done by contacting. The moving speed of the wiper blade was 150 mm / s, the contact load of the stylus was 2.0 g, and the radius of curvature (R) of the round shape of the stylus was 8 μm.

[Comparative Example 1]
Using the same blade edge inspection device and the same shape of the wiper blade (used in Example 1) as in Example 1, except that the stylus was contacted without applying lubricant to the second corner. Similarly, the shape of the second corner was inspected.

FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show graphs obtained by converting the contact pressure of the stylus measured in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 into voltage signals, respectively. Note that the voltage signals in FIG. 6 are recorded at intervals of 50 μs, the horizontal direction of the graph corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, and the vertical direction of the graph represents the magnitude of the contact pressure.

As shown in FIG. 6, the comparative example 1 has a large noise, and portions other than the defects can be determined as defects. On the other hand, the first embodiment has low noise and can detect the defect of the wiper blade more reliably.

As described above, the blade edge inspection apparatus and the blade edge inspection method of the present invention can easily and reliably detect the edge defect of the elastic blade. Therefore, the blade edge inspection apparatus and blade edge inspection method of the present invention can be suitably used for quality inspection of, for example, wiper blades and cleaning blades.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 1a Linear guide 2 Support stand

2a Bottom part

2b, 2c Side wall 3 Coating means 3a Coating brush 3b Lubricant tank 3c Tube 3d Cock 3e Post 4 Detection means 4a 1st stylus part 4b 2nd stylus part 4c Third stylus

4d stylus support

14a stylus cartridge 14b stylus 14c frame 14d connection 14e lead wire A elastic blade A1 first plane A2 second plane A3 third plane A4 first corner A5 second Corner

Claims

A blade edge inspection device for inspecting the shape of the edge of an elastic blade,
A support for installing the elastic blade;
Coating means for applying a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade;
A blade edge inspection apparatus, comprising: a detecting unit that detects a shape of an edge of the elastic blade with a stylus.
The edge of the elastic blade has a chamfered surface with a chamfering angle substantially perpendicular to the tip part,
The detection means includes a first stylus that contacts the chamfered surface of the edge, a second stylus that contacts a chamfered surface of the edge and a corner of one abdominal surface, a chamfered surface of the edge, and a second abdominal surface. The blade edge inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising a third stylus that contacts the corner portion.
The tip of the first stylus, the second stylus, and the third stylus is formed in a substantially triangular prism shape or a substantially conical shape having a substantially isosceles triangular cross section with rounded apex angles. The edge inspection apparatus for blades described in 1.
4. The blade edge inspection device according to claim 3, wherein a radius of curvature of a cross-sectional tip of the first stylus is larger than a radius of curvature of a cross-sectional tip of the second stylus and the third stylus.
The blade edge inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lubricant is a non-volatile liquid.
The blade edge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a determination unit that converts a contact pressure of the stylus into a voltage and determines a defect of an edge of the elastic blade based on a level of the voltage. Inspection device.
The blade edge inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support base is provided so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the elastic blade.
The blade edge inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the elastic blade is an elastomer wiper blade.
A blade edge inspection method for inspecting the shape of an edge of an elastic blade,
Installing the elastic blade on a support base;
Applying a lubricant to the edge of the elastic blade installed on the support;
Contacting the stylus with the edge of the elastic blade coated with the lubricant;
And a step of moving the elastic blade relative to the stylus in the longitudinal direction.