Vehicles and inspection systems

Abstract

A carrier and inspection system for inspecting products on a conveyor belt are provided. The carrier (100) is used to hold a product (11) carried on the conveyor belt (10) during horizontal conveying and includes a first holding member (110) positioned above or below the product on the conveyor belt and extending in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt during horizontal conveying. A first contact surface (101) is provided on the side of the first holding member facing the product, and the first contact surface is configured to contact the product during horizontal conveying of the conveyor belt carrying the product to limit the vertical bouncing movement of the product.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to product inspection, and more particularly, to a carrier and an inspection system capable of accommodating high speed product inspection. BACKGROUND

[0002] After a strip product such as a stamped part is manufactured, it is often necessary to inspect the product on the strip while the strip is being fed to determine whether the manufactured product is acceptable or defective, before the product is cut off from the strip.

[0003] During inspection of the strip stamped product, the strip carrying the product is usually moved at high speed, such as 400-1000 mm / s, depending on the pitch or spacing between the products on the strip. Since the products are also fixed on the strip, the products on the strip moving at high speed will bounce up and down during the feeding, which can damage the products or the strip, and it is difficult to keep the products level for inspection. SUMMARY

[0004] To overcome at least one of the above and other problems and drawbacks existing in the prior art, the present disclosure is presented.

[0005] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a carrier for keeping a product carried on a strip during horizontal feeding of the strip, the carrier comprising a first holding member positioned on an upper side or a lower side of the product on the strip during the horizontal feeding of the strip and extending in a feeding direction of the strip, a first contact surface being provided on a side of the first holding member facing the product, the first contact surface being configured to contact the product during the horizontal feeding of the strip carrying the product to limit an up-and-down bouncing movement of the product.

[0006] In some embodiments, a second contact surface is further provided on the side of the first holding member facing the product, the second contact surface being configured to contact the strip during the horizontal feeding of the strip to limit an up-and-down bouncing movement of the strip.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first contact surface and the second contact surface extend in the feeding direction of the strip and are horizontally spaced apart from each other.

[0008] In some embodiments, a line connecting any at least two points in the feeding direction of the strip along a surface profile of the first contact surface and / or the second contact surface is a Bezier curve.

[0009] In some embodiments, the product extends from the strip in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the strip, and the first contact surface is configured to contact a free end of the product during the horizontal feeding of the strip carrying the product.

[0010] In some embodiments, the carrier further includes a beam member detachably disposed on the product-facing side of the first retaining member, wherein the first contact surface and / or the second contact surface is at least a portion of the surface of the beam member facing the product or strip.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first retaining member has a groove on the side facing the product, into which the beam member is removably embedded.

[0012] In some embodiments, the carrier further includes a second retaining member, which is engaged with the first retaining member to form an L-shaped structure. At least one of the first and second retaining members is provided with an inspection window extending through the retaining member to allow an inspection device to inspect the products on the conveyor belt through the inspection window.

[0013] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an article inspection system is provided, comprising: a carrier described in any embodiment herein; and an inspection device configured to inspect products held by the carrier.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inspection system further includes at least one stabilizer, each stabilizer being arranged upstream or downstream of the carrier along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt and supporting the product and / or conveyor belt on the side opposite to the first retaining member of the carrier. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of an inspection system according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a product carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the contact surface in contact with the conveyor belt / product;

[0018] Figure 3 A perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a product carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic side perspective view illustrating the structure of a product carrier according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0020] Figure 5 A side view schematically illustrating the structure of a product carrier according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, identical or similar components are indicated by identical or similar reference numerals. The following description of various embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to illustrate the overall concept of this disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0022] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.

[0023] An inspection system is provided according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure for performing various inspections on strip products, such as strip terminals, including visual inspection, product image acquisition, product defect inspection, and product size inspection. As an example, the strip product may include conductive terminals for electrical connectors, such as terminals formed by stamping the strip.

[0024] For strip products, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the stamped conveyor belt 10 carries or has attached multiple products 2. Typically, before the products 11 are cut from the conveyor belt 10, the conveyor belt 10 is conveyed through an inspection device to inspect the products on it. The stamped products 11 usually extend in a cantilever form, with one end fixed to the conveyor belt 10. During high-speed conveying of the conveyor belt 10, the conveyor belt 10 or the products 11 carried on it may bounce up and down, which may damage the products or the conveyor belt, and / or result in unstable or unreliable product inspection.

[0025] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, a fixing device or carrier 100 is provided in the inspection system to restrict the up-and-down bouncing of the product 11 and / or the belt 10 during horizontal conveying of the belt 10, thereby stably holding the belt 10 and the product 11, so that the product 11 and / or the belt 10 remain approximately horizontal during horizontal conveying, so as to facilitate product inspection.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the carrier 100 includes a first retaining member 110, which can be positioned on one side of the product 11 on the conveyor belt 10 during transport. When the conveyor belt 10 moves or is transported horizontally, the product 11 carried thereon extends horizontally in a cantilevered manner. The first retaining member 110 can then be positioned above or below the product 11 to limit (e.g., accommodate, mitigate, or prevent) the product's vertical bouncing motion. This makes it possible for the conveyor belt carrying the product to be moved at high speeds (e.g., 400–1000 mm / s) for inspection.

[0027] The first retaining member 110 extends along the conveying direction of the strip 10 and may, for example, be formed as a generally plate-shaped member. According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, such as... Figures 2-4 As shown, a first contact surface 101 is provided on the side of the first retaining member 110 facing the product 11. The first contact surface 101 is configured to contact, support or conform to the product 10 during horizontal conveying of the conveyor belt 10 carrying the product 11, thereby limiting (e.g., accommodating, mitigating or preventing) the up-and-down bouncing motion of the product 11.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, a second contact surface 102 may also be provided on the side of the first retaining member 110 facing the product 11 or the material belt 10. The second contact surface 102 is configured to contact, support or adhere to at least a portion of the material belt 10 during horizontal conveying of the material belt 10, so as to further reduce or prevent the up-and-down bouncing movement of the material belt 10.

[0029] The first contact surface 101 and the second contact surface 102 may extend along the conveying direction of the belt 10 and be horizontally spaced apart from each other. In some embodiments, the first contact surface and the second contact surface extend continuously along the conveying direction of the belt; while in other embodiments, the first contact surface and / or the second contact surface may extend intermittently along the conveying direction of the belt, such as including multiple spaced sub-contact surfaces extending along the conveying direction of the belt; for example, an inspection device, such as a sensor or camera, may be provided in the gap between adjacent sub-contact surfaces.

[0030] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the first contact surface 101 and / or the second contact surface 102 are configured to have surface profiles that adapt to the shape of the product or strip, for example, a smooth surface or a smooth curved surface, to avoid damage to the product or strip. As an example, the line connecting any at least two points along the surface profile of the first contact surface 101 in the conveying direction of the strip 10 is a Bézier curve, and / or the line connecting any at least two points along the surface profile of the second contact surface 102 in the conveying direction of the strip 10 is a Bézier curve. This will better adapt to or conform to the shape of the product or strip, forming a smooth contact surface to better adapt to or conform to the bouncing movement of the product or strip during conveying, thereby avoiding damage to the product or strip, and also enabling the product to be stably held, such as keeping the product substantially horizontal or in a desired orientation for inspection.

[0031] For example, the product 11 extends from the conveyor belt 11 in a cantilevered manner along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 11, having a free end away from the conveyor belt 11, and the first contact surface 110 can be constructed and arranged to contact, support or conform to the free end or a portion near the free end of the product 11 during the horizontal conveying of the conveyor belt 11 carrying the product 11.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the carrier 100 also includes beam members (130, 140) disposed on the side of the first retaining member 110 facing the product 11, such as the first beam member 130 and the second beam member 140, which generally extend along the conveying direction of the material belt. The side of the beam member facing the product or material belt is provided with the aforementioned contact surface, for example, the first contact 101 is at least a portion of the surface of the first beam member 130 facing the product or material belt, and / or the second contact surface 102 is at least a portion of the surface of the second beam member 140 facing the product or material belt.

[0033] The beam members (130, 140) can be detachably mounted on the first retaining member 110. For example, a groove extending along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt is provided on the surface of the first retaining member 110 facing the product 11, and the beam member can be removably embedded into the corresponding groove. Thus, according to the inspection requirements of conveyor belt products with different shapes, beam members with contact surfaces adapted to or consistent with the product shape can be replaced to better limit the bouncing movement of the product during conveying.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, the carrier 100 also includes a second retaining member 120, which is joined to the first retaining member 110, as if integrally formed, to form a generally L-shaped structure, thereby at least partially surrounding the strip 10 and the product 11.

[0035] like Figures 2-5 In the illustrated embodiment, an inspection hole or inspection window 103 is provided in the second retaining member 120, penetrating the retaining member, to allow an inspection device (not shown) such as a camera or sensor to inspect the product 11 on the conveyor belt 10 through the inspection window 103. In other embodiments, an inspection hole or inspection window may also be provided in the first retaining member, penetrating the retaining member. It will be understood that the aforementioned first or second contact surface contacts or holds the product 11 on the conveyed conveyor belt 10 at least near or before / after the inspection window, such that the product 11 remains substantially horizontal or in the intended orientation without bouncing when moved to the position corresponding to the inspection window, to facilitate inspection.

[0036] In some examples, such as Figure 5As shown, at a position corresponding to such an inspection window (e.g., horizontal alignment), the aforementioned first or second contact surface is absent, or the first or second contact surface is disconnected at that position, to avoid hindering the inspection device from inspecting the product moved to that position through the inspection window.

[0037] Accordingly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide an inspection system comprising a carrier and an inspection device as described in any embodiment of this disclosure, the inspection device being configured to inspect a product held by the carrier.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the inspection system may also include at least one stabilizer 200, such as a plate-shaped member, each stabilizer being arranged upstream or downstream of the carrier 100 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt and supporting the product 11 and / or the conveyor belt 10 on the side opposite to the first retaining member 110 of the carrier 100 to hold the conveyor belt or product more stably.

[0039] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” as used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. Additionally, any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A carrier (100) for holding a product (11) carried on a web (10) during horizontal transport of the web, the carrier comprising: a first holding member (110) positioned on the web during horizontal transport of the web to extend over an upper or lower side of the product extending in a cantilever fashion with one end fixed to the web in the transport direction of the web, a first contact surface (101) being provided on a side of the first holding member facing the product, the first contact surface being configured to at least partially overlap and contact a free end of the product facing away from the web during horizontal transport of the web carrying the product to limit an up-and-down bouncing movement of the product, the carrier being configured to hold the product in case of exposure of a side of the product facing away from the first contact surface during transport past the carrier to allow the product in contact with the first contact surface to be inspected by an inspection device, a connecting line between any at least two points in the transport direction of the web along a surface profile of the first contact surface is a Bezier curve, the carrier further comprising a beam member (130, 140) removably arranged on the side of the first holding member facing the product, the first contact surface being at least a portion of a surface of the beam member facing the product or the web, the side of the first holding member facing the product being provided with a recess into which the beam member is removably inserted, and the beam member with a contact surface adapted to the shape of the product being replaceable according to inspection requirements of the web product with different shapes.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, a second contact surface (102) is further provided on the side of the first holding member facing the product, the second contact surface being configured to contact the web during horizontal transport of the web to limit an up-and-down bouncing movement of the web.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein, the first contact surface and the second contact surface extend in the transport direction of the web and are horizontally spaced apart from each other.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein, a connecting line between any at least two points in the transport direction of the web along a surface profile of the second contact surface is a Bezier curve.

5. The carrier of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, the product extends from the web in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the web.

6. The carrier of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, the second contact surface is at least a portion of a surface of the beam member facing the product or the web.

7. The carrier according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a second holding member (120) engaged together with the first holding member to form an L-shaped structure, wherein at least one of the first holding member and the second holding member is provided with an inspection window (103) therethrough to allow the inspection device to inspect the product on the web through the inspection window.

8. An inspection system comprising: the carrier according to any one of claims 1-7; and an inspection device configured to inspect the product held by the carrier.

9. The inspection system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one stabilizer (200) arranged upstream or downstream of the carrier in the transport direction of the web and supporting the product and / or the web on a side opposite to the first holding member of the carrier. ​

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