Columnar product detection machine and detection method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a columnar product inspection machine and inspection method, wherein the columnar product inspection machine includes: a loading mechanism for placing the columnar product at a designated position of a material conveying mechanism; a material conveying mechanism for conveying the columnar product to a cylindrical feeding mechanism; a front face visual inspection mechanism and a rear face visual inspection mechanism, which are arranged on both sides of the material conveying mechanism and are used to inspect the front face and rear face of each columnar product respectively when the material conveying mechanism conveys the columnar product; a cylindrical feeding mechanism for receiving the columnar product that has undergone the front face and rear face inspection and driving the columnar product to rotate; a side inspection mechanism, which is arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism and is used to perform 360-degree inspection of the side face of each columnar product when the columnar product rotates. The present invention enables the end face and side face of the columnar product to be fully inspected on the same device, with a compact structure and three inspection positions being carried out simultaneously, thereby improving inspection efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of product detection, and in particular to a columnar product detection machine and a detection method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, inspection of cylindrical products, such as defects and dimensions, is largely performed manually. For example, ceramic ferrules are core components of fiber optic connectors, serving as optical fiber centering, alignment, and fixation. Dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and mechanical properties are highly demanding. Made from zirconium oxide ceramic powder, ceramic ferrules undergo mixing, molding, sintering, and subsequent machining. This process can introduce defects such as cracks, yellow spots, and chipping. If these ferrules are directly assembled into fiber optic adapters without inspection, there's a risk of significant signal transmission loss and even signal interruption. Currently, manual visual inspection is the primary method for inspecting ceramic ferrules, which is inefficient and labor-intensive. Furthermore, ceramic ferrules are translucent and highly polished, resulting in significant reflections under lighting. Defects as small as microns can easily cause visual fatigue, leading to low efficiency and a high risk of missed or incorrect inspections. Product quality is thus subject to numerous human factors, significantly impacting the stability of the finished product. Furthermore, the ferrule requires high skills, is difficult to train, and is expensive, making it difficult for new employees to quickly master this role. Although columnar product inspection machines are available in the prior art, they take a long time to inspect and have low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem of low efficiency in detecting columnar products and to provide a columnar product detecting machine and a detecting method.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A columnar product inspection machine includes a loading mechanism, a material conveying mechanism, a cylindrical feeding mechanism, a front face visual inspection mechanism, a rear face visual inspection mechanism, and a side inspection mechanism;

[0006] The loading mechanism is used to place the columnar product at a designated position of the material conveying mechanism;

[0007] The material conveying mechanism is used to convey columnar products to the cylindrical feeding mechanism;

[0008] The front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism are arranged on both sides of the material conveying mechanism, and are used to inspect the front face and the rear face of each columnar product respectively when the columnar product is conveyed by the material conveying mechanism;

[0009] The cylindrical feeding mechanism is used to receive the cylindrical product that has been inspected on the front and rear surfaces, and drives the cylindrical product to rotate;

[0010] The side detection mechanism is arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism and is used to perform 360-degree detection on the side of each cylindrical product when the cylindrical product rotates.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material conveying mechanism includes a synchronous belt, the designated position is in the tooth groove of the synchronous belt, the tooth groove surface of the synchronous belt faces the direction of the columnar product, and each time the loading mechanism feeds a columnar product into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt, the synchronous belt rotates forward a tooth groove distance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the material conveying mechanism also includes a driving wheel and a semicircular block. The synchronous belt is arranged on the circumference of the driving wheel. The outer circle of the driving wheel is installed coaxially with the inner semicircle of the semicircular block to form an arc gap. The gap ensures that the columnar product is always located in the tooth groove of the synchronous belt and does not fall during the rotation of the synchronous belt. The gap extends all the way to the top of the cylindrical feeding mechanism to convey the columnar product to the cylindrical feeding mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the material conveying mechanism includes an end face screening unit, which is used to screen out unqualified products based on the inspection results of the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism, and only retain qualified products on the material conveying mechanism.

[0014] In some embodiments, the front face visual detection mechanism and the rear face visual detection mechanism are staggered front to back.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cylindrical feeding mechanism includes a cylindrical product rotation unit, and the cylindrical product rotation unit includes a cylindrical product driving wheel, a first roller and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are placed side by side. The cylindrical product driving wheel drives the first roller and the second roller to rotate in the same direction through a belt, thereby driving the cylindrical product supported between the first roller and the second roller to rotate.

[0016] In some embodiments, a cylindrical sorting mechanism is further included, wherein a plurality of material channels are provided on the cylindrical sorting mechanism, and the cylindrical sorting mechanism is used to push the columnar products into the material channels for classification and placement according to the detection results of the side detection mechanism.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cylindrical sorting mechanism includes a dividing cylinder, a sliding cylinder, a guide rail and a dividing block. The dividing block includes at most 4 material boxes arranged along the guide rail. The dividing cylinder, the sliding cylinder and the dividing block are connected in sequence and arranged on the guide rail. The dividing cylinder can drive the sliding cylinder and the dividing block to move back and forth along the guide rail. The sliding cylinder can also drive the dividing block to move back and forth along the guide rail, so that the dividing block can have 4 docking positions, so that the cylindrical sorting mechanism can place different types of columnar products from the cylindrical feeding mechanism in different material boxes.

[0018] In some embodiments, a vibration plate feeding mechanism is also included, which is used to provide columnar products to the loading mechanism. The vibration plate feeding mechanism includes a vibration plate, a first feeding hose, a hose connecting sleeve, and a second feeding hose connected in sequence. A corresponding sensor is fixed on the hose connecting sleeve. When the columnar product fills the second feeding hose to the sensor position of the hose connecting sleeve, the vibration plate stops feeding. When the material level is lower than the sensor position and after a preset time delay, the vibration plate starts feeding, thereby ensuring that the vibration plate works intermittently and reducing the impact of vibration on the columnar product detection machine.

[0019] The present invention also provides a columnar product detection method, comprising the following steps:

[0020] S1: Place the columnar product at the designated position of the material conveying mechanism through the loading mechanism;

[0021] S2: conveying the columnar product to the cylindrical feeding mechanism through the material conveying mechanism;

[0022] When the material conveying mechanism conveys the columnar products, the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism are used to inspect the front face and the rear face of each columnar product on both sides of the material conveying mechanism respectively;

[0023] S3: The cylindrical product that has been inspected on the front and rear faces is received by the cylindrical feeding mechanism, and the cylindrical product is driven to rotate. At this time, the side inspection mechanism arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism performs 360-degree inspection on the side of the cylindrical product when the cylindrical product rotates.

[0024] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The present invention uses a front face visual inspection mechanism and a rear face visual inspection mechanism arranged on both sides of the material conveying mechanism to detect the front and rear end faces of each columnar product when the material conveying mechanism conveys the columnar products, and uses a side inspection mechanism arranged above the columnar feeding mechanism to perform 360-degree side inspection of the columnar products when the columnar products rotate, so that the end faces and side faces of the columnar products can be fully inspected by the same device. The structure is compact, and the three inspection positions are carried out simultaneously, thereby improving the inspection efficiency.

[0026] In some embodiments, there are also the following beneficial effects:

[0027] The embodiment of the present invention adopts a method of staggering the front and rear end face detection positions. The front end face visual detection mechanism will not interfere with the rear end face visual detection mechanism, and similarly, the rear end face visual detection mechanism will not interfere with the front end face visual detection mechanism, thereby not affecting the detection effect of the front and rear end faces, and further improving the detection efficiency.

[0028] Other beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a columnar product inspection machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a columnar product inspection machine according to an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective;

[0031] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a rack in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of the frame circle A in FIG;

[0033] Figure 5 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a vibrating plate feeding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a feeding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of the feeding mechanism I in FIG;

[0036] Figure 8 1 is a schematic diagram of a feeding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a material conveying mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 10is a schematic diagram from another perspective of the material conveying mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A partial enlarged view of the material conveying mechanism L in FIG;

[0040] Figure 12 2 is a front view of a material conveying mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A partial enlarged view of the V-shaped block of the material conveying mechanism;

[0042] Figure 14 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a cylindrical feeding mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 15 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the core rotating mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 16 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the insert rotating mechanism in another embodiment;

[0045] Figure 17 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a cylindrical sorting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 18 is a flow chart of a columnar product detection method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] The accompanying drawings are as follows:

[0048] 1-frame, 11-mounting platform, 12-keyboard tray, 13-retractable diagonal support, 14-keyboard fixing block, 15-hinge, 2-vibration plate feeding mechanism, 21-vibration plate, 22-first feeding hose, 23-hose connecting sleeve, 24-second feeding hose, 25-column, 3-feeding mechanism, 31-feeding cylinder, 310-air nozzle connector, 32-feeding cylinder fixing plate, 33-feeding rear limit sensor, 34-feeding front limit sensor, 35-insert in place sensor, 36-feeding block, 37-insert front guide sleeve, 38-insert rear guide sleeve, 39-guide sleeve connecting column, 4-material conveying mechanism, 41-synchronous belt, 412-first belt stopper, 413-belt support block, 414-rear end Surface unqualified product slide, 415-second belt stopper, 416-first front end stopper, 417-second front end stopper, 418-rear end stopper, 419-tensioning adjustment block, 42-planetary reducer, 420-sliding block, 421-U-shaped photoelectric switch, 422-photoelectric switch bracket, 423-cylinder, 424-screening cylinder fixing plate, 425-cylinder connector, 426-thimble, 427-front end rib, 427A-round hole, 427B-inclined surface, 428-cylinder fixing block, 429-rear end stopper, 43-motor, 430-rear end unqualified material box, 431-tensioning screw, 432-cylinder, 433-thimble, 434-cylinder fixing block, 44-semicircular block, 44A- Inner semicircle, 45-driving wheel, 45A-driving wheel outer circle, 46-conveying support seat, 47-conveying mounting base, 48-passive wheel, 49-support block, 4A-front face screening unit, 4B-rear face screening unit, 4C-pushing mechanism, 5-cylindrical feeding mechanism, 51-V-shaped block, 51A-first V-shaped groove, 52-insertion core rotation mechanism, 521-motor fixing block, 521A-small hole, 521B-second V-shaped groove, 521C-U-shaped notch, 522-reduction motor, 523-first roller, 524-insertion core driving wheel, 525-belt, 526-second roller, 53-straight vibration, 54-V-shaped groove cover, 6-cylindrical sorting mechanism, 7-front face visual detection mechanism, 8 -Rear end face visual detection mechanism, 9-Side detection mechanism, 10-Control display system, B1-First ferrule, C1-Second ferrule, C2-Third ferrule, C5-Fourth ferrule, C6-Fifth ferrule, 61-Material dividing block, 61A-First blanking trough, 61B-Second blanking trough, 61C-Third blanking trough, 61D-Fourth blanking trough, 62-Blanking detection switch, 63-Material dividing cylinder, 64-Slide cylinder, 65A-First material box, 65B-Second material box, 65C-Third material box, 65D-Fourth material box, 66-Cylinder connecting plate, 67-Guide rail, 68-Material dividing mounting bracket, 69-Block, C7-Sixth ferrule, H1-Total height of ferrule and synchronous belt, H2-Arc gap space. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be emphasized that the following description is only exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and its application.

[0050] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, connection can be used for both fixing and coupling or communication.

[0051] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0052] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0053] The columnar product inspection machine of the embodiment of the present invention includes a loading mechanism, a material conveying mechanism, a cylindrical feeding mechanism, a front face visual inspection mechanism, a rear face visual inspection mechanism, and a side inspection mechanism;

[0054] The loading mechanism is used to place the columnar product at the designated position of the material conveying mechanism;

[0055] The material conveying mechanism is used to convey the columnar products to the cylindrical feeding mechanism;

[0056] The front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism are arranged on both sides of the material conveying mechanism, and are used to inspect the front face and rear face of each columnar product respectively when the columnar product is conveyed by the material conveying mechanism;

[0057] The cylindrical feeding mechanism is used to receive cylindrical products that have been inspected on the front and rear surfaces, and drives the cylindrical products to rotate;

[0058] The side detection mechanism is arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism and is used to perform 360-degree detection on the side of each cylindrical product when the cylindrical product rotates.

[0059] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 In this embodiment, the columnar product inspection machine includes a frame 1, a vibration plate feeding mechanism 2, a loading mechanism 3, a material conveying mechanism 4, a cylindrical feeding mechanism 5, a cylindrical sorting mechanism 6, a front surface visual inspection mechanism 7, a rear surface visual inspection mechanism 8, a side inspection mechanism 9, and an operation and display system 10. The above mechanisms are all fixed to the mounting platform of the frame with screws. The columnar product in this embodiment is a ceramic ferrule.

[0060] Working principle: The vibration plate feeding mechanism 2 screens the ceramic ferrules and arranges them according to the set angle and direction before feeding. A feeding pipe is provided at the discharge port of the vibration plate feeding mechanism 2. The inlet of the feeding pipe is connected to the outlet of the vibration plate of the vibration plate feeding mechanism 2, and the outlet end of the feeding pipe is connected to the inlet of the loading mechanism 3.

[0061] The material conveying mechanism 4 is mainly composed of a pair of pulleys and a synchronous belt. The synchronous belt is installed in reverse (the tooth groove side faces outward), and the feeding mechanism 3 is fixed above the tooth groove of the synchronous belt. Each time the feeding mechanism 3 feeds a ceramic ferrule into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt, the synchronous belt rotates forward one tooth groove distance, and so on. There is a ceramic ferrule in each tooth groove of the synchronous belt. The front end face visual inspection mechanism 7 and the rear end face visual inspection mechanism 8 are arranged on the left and right sides of the synchronous belt respectively. The front end face visual inspection mechanism 7 and the rear end face visual inspection mechanism 8 are staggered a certain distance front and back. This distance is at least to ensure that the front end face visual inspection mechanism and the rear end face visual inspection mechanism do not interfere with each other during installation. At the same time, in order to avoid the light sources of the front and rear end detection mechanisms from affecting each other, this distance needs to be greater than 1.5 times the external dimensions of the light source used. Every time the synchronous belt moves one grid, the front face visual inspection mechanism 7 and the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8 complete a photo taking and inspection at the same time. The front face visual inspection mechanism 7 and the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8 are both connected to an end face screening unit. The end face screening unit is used to screen out unqualified products according to the inspection results of the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism, and only retain qualified products on the material conveying mechanism. Specifically, when the inspection results of the front and rear face visual inspection mechanisms are unqualified, the screening cylinder of the corresponding end face screening unit pushes the ceramic ferrule off the synchronous belt and drops it into the corresponding unqualified material box, completing the front and rear end inspection and sorting of the ceramic ferrule.

[0062] The qualified ceramic ferrules on the front and rear ends are conveyed by the synchronous belt into the V-groove of the cylindrical feeding mechanism 5. Each time the synchronous belt rotates one grid, a ceramic ferrule is fed into the V-groove. A pushing cylinder is provided at the rear end of the V-groove. Each time a ceramic ferrule is fed into the synchronous belt, the pushing cylinder pushes the ceramic ferrule forward a certain distance along the V-groove. This cycle continues until the V-groove is filled with ceramic ferrules. The ferrules are arranged end to end along the V-groove. A columnar product rotating unit is provided at the front end of the V-groove. The cylindrical product rotation unit includes a cylindrical product drive wheel, a first roller, and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are placed side by side close together, but with a certain gap. The V-shaped outer diameters of the two rollers are exactly aligned with the V-shaped groove. Each time the push cylinder pushes, a ceramic ferrule is sent between the outer diameters of the first and second rollers. The two rollers rotate in the same direction, driving the ceramic ferrule supported in the middle to rotate at a uniform speed. At this time, a side detection mechanism 9 is set directly above the rollers to perform 360-degree inspection on the side of the ceramic ferrule.

[0063] The cylindrical sorting mechanism 6 is provided with multiple material channels. The cylindrical sorting mechanism is used to push columnar products into the material channels for classification and placement based on the detection results of the side detection mechanism. In this embodiment, the cylindrical sorting mechanism classifies the surface defects of the ceramic ferrule into multiple categories, such as severe, slight, good, and very good. The material channels are controlled by multiple cylinders. Based on the detection results of the side detection mechanism 9, these cylinders are combined and controlled to align the corresponding material channels with the dropouts of the two rollers at the front end of the V-shaped groove. Based on the side detection results, the pushing cylinders push the products into the corresponding material channels. Each material channel is connected to a corresponding material box and is uniquely matched, ensuring reliable cylindrical sorting results and preventing material mixing.

[0064] In this embodiment, the front face visual inspection mechanism 7, the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8, and the side face inspection mechanism 9 operate simultaneously. That is, with each rotation of the synchronous belt, the three inspection mechanisms simultaneously complete inspections of the front face, rear face, and side faces of different ceramic ferrules. This allows for simultaneous inspection of all surfaces, thereby improving the equipment's operating efficiency. The front face visual inspection mechanism 7 includes a first industrial camera and its corresponding bracket, light source, and light source bracket, among other components. Similarly, the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8 includes a second industrial camera and its corresponding bracket, light source, and light source bracket, among other components. In some embodiments, to improve equipment efficiency, multiple cameras can be deployed on both sides of the synchronous belt for the front face visual inspection mechanism 7 and the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8, allowing for photo inspection of multiple products at once.

[0065] The control and display system 10 in this embodiment consists of two parts: a touchscreen for controlling the device and a display for displaying the visual inspection system. The touchscreen is connected to the device's control system, such as an industrial computer or PLC, to enable parameter settings and other operations. The display is connected to the visual inspection host computer and is used to display visual inspection-related screens, store, and view images.

[0066] The following is a detailed introduction to each mechanism, where the ferrule mentioned refers to the ceramic ferrule:

[0067] Rack 1:

[0068] refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 In this embodiment, the frame 1 includes a mounting platform 11, a keyboard tray 12, a retractable diagonal brace 13, a keyboard fixing block 14, and a hinge 15. The mounting platform 11 is a mounting platform for various mechanisms. The keyboard tray 12 is connected to the mounting platform 11 by the hinge 15. At the same time, the retractable diagonal brace 13 supports the keyboard tray 12. The four keyboard fixing blocks 14 fix the keyboard on the keyboard tray 12. When the keyboard is not in use, the keyboard tray 12 can be rotated downward along the hinge 15 to fold the keyboard into a vertical state to reduce the floor space. When in use, it can be opened and supported by the retractable diagonal brace 13 into a horizontal state.

[0069] Vibrating plate feeding mechanism 2:

[0070] refer to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the vibration plate feeding mechanism 2 includes a vibration plate 21, a first feeding hose 22, a hose connecting sleeve 23, a second feeding hose 24, and a column 25. One end of the column 25 is connected to the mounting platform with a screw, and the other end is connected to the base of the vibration plate 21 with a screw. The discharge port of the vibration plate 21 is connected to the first feeding hose 22, which is then inserted downward into the hose connecting sleeve 23. The second feeding hose 24 is connected below the hose connecting sleeve 23. The other end of the second feeding hose 24 is then inserted into the inlet of the feeding mechanism 3. The hose connecting sleeve 23 is radially processed with a through hole for A fixed beam sensor is used to control the start and stop of vibration. When the insert is filled with the second feeding hose 24 and the height reaches the sensor position of the hose connecting sleeve 23, the control system controls the vibration plate 21 to stop feeding. When the material level is lower than the sensor position and the delay is set according to the preset time, the vibration plate 21 is started to feed, ensuring that the vibration plate 21 works intermittently and reducing the impact of vibration on the equipment. The preset delay time is adjusted according to the discharge speed of the vibration plate, generally 3-6s. If the time setting is too small, the start-up is too frequent, and the time is too long, it is easy to cause untimely feeding and affect equipment efficiency.

[0071] Feeding mechanism 3:

[0072] refer to Figure 6-Figure 8The feeding mechanism 3 of this embodiment includes a feeding cylinder 31, a feeding cylinder fixing plate 32, a feeding rear limit sensor 33, a feeding front limit sensor 34, a core insertion position sensor 35, a feed block 36, a core insertion front guide sleeve 37, a core insertion rear guide sleeve 38, a guide sleeve connecting column 39, and a nozzle connector 310. The feeding cylinder 31 is threadedly connected to the feeding cylinder fixing plate 32. The piston rod of the feeding cylinder 31 is also threadedly connected to the feed block 36. The extension and retraction of the piston rod of the feeding cylinder 31 directly drives the feed block 36 to move forward and backward. The feeding rear limit sensor 33 and the feeding front limit sensor 34 are threadedly fixed to the feeding cylinder fixing plate 32. These sensors are used to detect the forward and backward movement of the feed block 36. The three parts of the ferrule front guide sleeve 37, the ferrule rear guide sleeve 38 and the guide sleeve connecting column 39 form a concentric material channel. The rear end inner hole of the ferrule front guide sleeve 37 is provided with a chamfer, and the front end outer circle of the ferrule rear guide sleeve 38 is also provided with a chamfer. A gap is left when the two workpieces are assembled, and together with the guide sleeve connecting column 39, a conical cavity is formed. A hole is drilled in the radial direction of the guide sleeve connecting column 39, and the air nozzle connector 310 is installed. When the air source is connected, compressed air enters the air nozzle connector 310, the conical cavity, and the air flow moves obliquely forward along the chamfer to assist the first ferrule B1 is transported forward in the concentric material channel until it completely enters the square groove of the feed block 36. When the ferrule in place sensor 35 senses the first ferrule B1, the loading cylinder 31 pushes the feed block 36 forward. The feed block 36 pushes the ferrule in the square groove into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt 41. The synchronous belt rotates forward one grid. After completing the loading action of one ferrule, the loading cylinder retreats, and the next ferrule is brought into the square groove again. After being sensed by the ferrule in place sensor 35 again, the loading cylinder pushes the ferrule again, and the action is repeated. Figure 7 The total height H1 of the middle ferrule and the synchronous belt refers to the maximum dimension from the upper surface of the ferrule to the lower surface of the synchronous belt 41 when the ferrule is completely inserted into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt.

[0073] Material conveying mechanism 4:

[0074] refer to Figures 9-13The material conveying mechanism 4 of this embodiment is comprised of two conveying support bases 46 fixed to the mounting platform 11 and connected by screws. A conveying mounting base plate 47 is vertically fixed to the conveying support base 46. A planetary reducer 42 is mounted on the right side of the conveying mounting base plate 47. A motor 43 is mounted at the rear of the planetary reducer 42, and a drive wheel 45 is mounted at the head of the planetary reducer 42. The drive wheel 45, planetary reducer 42, and motor 43 are coaxially mounted and connected by screws. A sliding block 420 is mounted on the left side of the conveying mounting base plate 47. A driven pulley 48 is mounted on the sliding block 420. The synchronous belt 41 is mounted to the drive wheel 45 and the driven pulley 48, with the teeth of the synchronous belt 41 facing outward. A tensioning screw 431 is fixed to the tensioning adjustment block 419 and threadedly connected to the sliding block 420. Rotating the tensioning screw 431 forwards or backwards tightens or loosens the synchronous belt 41. The upper bottom portion of the synchronous belt 41 between the drive pulley 45 and the driven pulley 48 is supported by a belt support block 413 and a support block 49, which are screwed to the conveyor mounting base 47. A U-shaped photoelectric switch 421 is fixed to a photoelectric switch bracket 422, which is screwed to the conveyor mounting base 47. The synchronous belt 41 fits neatly into the U-shaped opening of the U-shaped photoelectric switch 421. The U-shaped photoelectric switch 421 detects the teeth of the synchronous belt 41, ensuring that each rotation of the drive pulley 45 covers the distance of one tooth.

[0075] The material conveying mechanism includes an end face screening unit, which is used to screen out unqualified products based on the inspection results of the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism, and only retain qualified products on the material conveying mechanism. The front end screening unit 4A includes a cylinder 423, a screening cylinder fixing plate 424, a cylinder connecting head 425, a pin 426, a front end rib 427, a cylinder fixing block 428, a rear end block 429, and a rear end unqualified material box 430. The cylinder 423 is fixed to the cylinder fixing block 428 by a threaded connection, and the cylinder fixing block 428 is fixed to the rear end block 429 by a threaded connection; the head of the cylinder 423 is fixed to the screening cylinder fixing plate 424, one end of the cylinder connecting head 425 is connected to the piston rod of the cylinder 423, and the other end is connected to the pin 426, a circular hole 427A and a bevel 427B are provided on the front end rib 427, and the pin 426 is installed in the circular hole 427A. The cylinder 423, the cylinder connecting head 425, and the pin 426 are installed coaxially with the circular hole 427A, and the circular hole 427A is just aligned with the tooth groove where the third ferrule C2 is located. The first belt stopper 412 and the second belt stopper 415 are fixed in front of the support block 413, close to the outer side of the synchronous belt 41. The synchronous belt 41 is supported on the upper surface of the support block 413, and the front end rib 427 is close to the inner side of the synchronous belt 41. The first belt stopper 412 and the second belt stopper 415 are separated from each other by a certain distance, which is approximately equal to 2-2.5 times the tooth pitch of the synchronous belt 41. When viewed from the front, there are just two ferrule positions (for placing the second ferrule C1 and the third ferrule C2). A front end visual inspection mechanism 7 (including a first industrial camera) is arranged at the same axial position as the second ferrule C1. The lens of the first industrial camera is facing the exposed end face of the second ferrule C1 (this exposed end face is called the front end face). The first industrial camera takes a picture of the position of the second ferrule C1, and the visual system in the first industrial camera performs AI analysis and processing, and outputs the result to the control system of the equipment. Then the synchronous belt 41 rotates backward one grid (belt groove pitch), and the original second ferrule C1 comes to the position of the third ferrule C2. The control system of the equipment controls the front face screening unit 4A to operate according to the AI ​​processing result of the last photo. If the processing result is OK, the front face screening unit 4A does not operate, and the ferrule stays on the synchronous belt 41. If the processing result is NG, the front face screening unit 4A executes the action, the cylinder 423 extends, and the ejector pin 426 pushes the unqualified ferrule at the position of the third ferrule C2 off the synchronous belt 41, and slides it into the front end unqualified material box to complete the screening action. The function of the inclined surface 427B is as follows: when the synchronous belt 41 transports the ferrule from front to back, this inclined surface is in close contact with the rear end face of the ferrule, forcing the ferrule to gradually move along the axis of the ferrule toward the front end face of the ferrule until it intersects with the plane of the inclined surface 427B, and then no longer moves forward along the axis, thereby ensuring that the front end face of each ferrule is consistent with the focusing distance of the first industrial camera in the front end face visual inspection mechanism 7, thereby ensuring clear imaging.The rear face screening unit 4B operates on the same principle as the front face screening unit 4A. Two ferrule end faces (rear face faces) are left open, and a second industrial camera in the rear face visual inspection mechanism 8 is arranged coaxially with the preceding ferrule. The second industrial camera takes a picture and analyzes the exposed rear face of the ferrule at the preceding ferrule position, and then completes the screening operation at the succeeding ferrule position. The rear face screening unit 4B then executes an action based on the analysis results of the second industrial camera. If the result is OK, no action is taken. If the result is NG, the rear face screening unit 4B activates, pushing the unqualified ferrule off the synchronous belt 41 and sliding it through the rear face unqualified product slide 414 (when the rear face of the ferrule fails inspection, it is pushed off the synchronous belt by the cylinder, falls into this slide, and ultimately slides into the rear face unqualified material box) into the rear face unqualified material box 430. The rear end stopper 429 also has the same functional features as the front end retaining edge 427, such as the inclined surface 427B and the circular hole 427A. Its function and effect are the same as those of the front end retaining edge 427.

[0076] Ferrules that pass both the front and rear face inspections remain on the timing belt 41 and continue forward to the drive wheel 45. The timing belt 41 is mounted on the circumference of the drive wheel 45. The outer circumference 45A of the drive wheel is coaxially mounted with the inner semicircle 44A of the semicircular block 44, forming a circular gap H2. This gap H2 is slightly larger than the combined height H1 of the ferrule and the timing belt. This gap ensures that the ferrule remains in the belt's tooth grooves during the rotation of the timing belt 41, preventing it from falling as it rotates with the belt. The fourth ferrule C5 is then fed to the cylindrical feed mechanism. This gap extends to the upper right of the first V-groove 51A of the V-shaped block 51. Each time the drive wheel 45 rotates one notch, a ferrule is dropped into the first V-groove 51A. In this embodiment, a first front end stop bar 416, a second front end stop bar 417, and a rear end stop bar 418 are respectively arranged on both sides of the synchronous belt 41 to block the ferrule and ensure that it does not fall into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt and ensure that the ferrule accurately enters the gap formed by the driving wheel 45 and the semicircular block 44. The pushing mechanism 4C is composed of a cylinder 432, a cylinder fixing block 434, a cylinder connecting head 425 and a ejector pin 433. The cylinder 432, the cylinder connecting head 425 and the ejector pin 433 are coaxially installed. The cylinder 432 is fixed on the cylinder fixing block 434, and the cylinder fixing block 434 is fixed on the conveying mounting base 47 by screws. The ejector pin 433 passes through the corresponding small hole on the conveying mounting base 47 and stops at the first V-shaped groove 51A of the V-shaped block 51. When the driving wheel rotates one grid and each time a ferrule falls onto the first V-shaped groove 51A, the pushing mechanism 4C moves once. Along the first V-shaped groove 51A, the ejector pin 433 is driven by the cylinder 432 to push forward one ferrule length. That is, each time the driving wheel rotates once, the ejector pin 433 pushes the sixth ferrule C7 at the rear against the fifth ferrule C6 in the front and moves forward once.

[0077] Cylindrical feeding mechanism 5: Reference Figure 14-16The cylindrical feeding mechanism 5 includes a V-shaped block 51, a ferrule rotation mechanism 52, a straight vibration 53, and a V-groove cover plate 54. A side detection mechanism 9 is arranged above the fifth ferrule C6 to detect the side of the ferrule. The ferrule rotation mechanism 52 consists of a motor fixing block 521, a reduction motor 522, a first roller 523, a second roller 526, a ferrule drive wheel 524, and a belt 525. The motor fixing block 521 is provided with a U-shaped notch 521C, which docks with the end of the V-shaped block 51. The motor fixing block 521 is provided with a second V-groove 521B, which is the same size as the first V-groove 51A of the V-shaped block 51. The ferrule rotation mechanism 52 is fixed to the V-shaped block 51 by a threaded connection. The second V-groove 521B is just docked with the first V-groove 51A. The bottom of the second V-groove 521B is drilled with multiple small holes 521A, which are connected to the vacuum valve. The reduction motor 522 is fixed to the motor fixing block 521 with screws, and the central axis hole of the ferrule driving wheel 524 is sleeved on the output shaft of the reduction motor 522. A belt groove is provided on the outer surface of the ferrule driving wheel 524, and two belts 525 are installed. The other ends are respectively connected to the first roller 523 and the second roller 526. The ferrule driving wheel 524 drives the first roller 523 and the second roller 526 to rotate in the same direction, thereby causing the fifth ferrule C6 on the two rollers to rotate. A side detection mechanism 9 is provided above the fifth ferrule C6, and the cylindrical camera takes pictures of the fifth ferrule C6 and analyzes it.

[0078] In another embodiment, Figure 16 As shown, half of the V-groove at the end of the V-shaped block has been removed, leaving only a single inclined surface. This, combined with the outer surface of the first roller 523, forms a core rotation mechanism. Driven by a reduction motor 522, the first roller 523 rotates. The friction between the first roller 523 and the V-groove's inclined surface rotates the core above it, enabling the industrial camera to take photos and perform inspections. In exceptional circumstances (such as when the core is dirty or the rollers aren't cleaned promptly), the rotation of the core with a single roller may be slightly worse than with two rollers.

[0079] Cylindrical sorting mechanism: Reference Figure 17, the cylindrical sorting mechanism includes a material distribution mounting frame 68, a falling material detection switch 62, a material distribution block 61, a stopper 69, a guide rail 67, a cylinder connecting plate 66, a material distribution cylinder 63, a slide cylinder 64, a first material box 65A, a second material box 65B, a third material box 65C, and a fourth material box 65D. The material distribution mounting frame 68 is fixed to the mounting platform 11 with screws, the guide rail 67 is fixed to the material distribution mounting frame 68 with screws, the cylinder connecting plate 66 is fixed to the slider of the guide rail 67 with screws, the cylinder head of the material distribution cylinder 63 is connected to a floating joint and then connected to the cylinder connecting plate 66, the gas The cylinder connecting plate 66 is connected to a slide cylinder 64, and the sliding block of the slide cylinder 64 is connected to the stopper 69 and the dividing block 61. The dividing cylinder 63 can drive the cylinder connecting plate 66, the slide cylinder 64, the stopper 69, and the dividing block 61 to move forward and backward along the guide rail 67 as a whole, and there are 2 positions. In addition, the slide cylinder 64 drives the stopper 69 and the dividing block 61 to move forward and backward along the guide rail, and there are 2 positions. Therefore, the two cylinders move in combination, and the dividing block 61 has 4 docking positions. The dividing block 61 is provided with 4 blanking troughs, namely the first blanking trough 61A, the second blanking trough 61B, and the third blanking trough The blanking trough 61C, the fourth blanking trough 61D, the first blanking trough 61A corresponds to the first material box 65A, the second blanking trough 61B corresponds to the second material box 65B, the third blanking trough 61C corresponds to the third material box 65C, and the fourth blanking trough 61D corresponds to the fourth material box 65D. The four material boxes will be divided into 4 levels according to the appearance of the ferrule - better, good, poor, and poor. After the side detection mechanism 9 arranged just above the ferrule rotating mechanism 52 completes the detection of the ferrule, it informs the control system of the detection results. According to the results, the control system controls the action of the material distribution cylinder 63 and the slide cylinder 64 to push the material distribution block 61 to move , so that the material troughs corresponding to the detection results (the first material trough 61A, the second material trough 61B, the third material trough 61C, and the fourth material trough 61D) are aligned with the angle formed between the first roller 523 and the second roller 526, and the fifth insert C6 is pushed down the angle between the first roller 523 and the second roller 526, and falls into the groove of the material dividing block 61 corresponding to the detection result, and finally slides into the material box corresponding to the result. The falling process is detected by the material blanking detection switch 62. After a certain delay, the material dividing cylinder 63 and the slide cylinder 64 are reset, waiting for the next detection result to execute the action again.

[0080] This cylindrical sorting mechanism can be simplified or increased according to actual needs. For example, when only two results, qualified and unqualified, are required, it can be simplified to retain only the slide cylinder 64, and the dividing block 61 retains the first blanking trough 61A and the second blanking trough 61B, and reduces the number of material boxes to retain 2 corresponding to them. Similarly, if the test results need to be subdivided, a corresponding number of material boxes are set according to the type of subdivision, and the dividing block 61 is changed into a slot with a wide slot inlet and a narrow outlet. The dividing block is driven by a stepper motor or a servo motor. After the outlet is aligned with the corresponding material box, the fifth insert C6 is pushed down the first roller 523 and the second roller 526. The blanking detection switch 62 detects the blanking and delays for a certain time, and then resets the motor.

[0081] refer to Figure 18 The present invention also provides a method for detecting columnar products, comprising the following steps:

[0082] S1: Place the columnar product at the designated position of the material conveying mechanism through the loading mechanism;

[0083] S2: The cylindrical product is transported to the cylindrical feeding mechanism through the material conveying mechanism;

[0084] When the material conveying mechanism conveys the columnar product, the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism respectively inspect the front face and rear face of each columnar product on both sides of the material conveying mechanism;

[0085] S3: The cylindrical product that has been inspected on the front and rear faces is received by the cylindrical feeding mechanism and driven to rotate. At this time, the side inspection mechanism provided above the cylindrical feeding mechanism performs 360-degree inspection on the side of the cylindrical product while the cylindrical product rotates.

[0086] The existing technology uses the same shooting position, while the embodiment of the present invention uses three positions to shoot the front face, rear face, and side face respectively. By comparison, it can be found that the existing technology is inefficient when shooting from one position. In particular, the shooting of the front and rear face will affect each other. The front light source is directly facing the rear camera, and the rear light source is directly facing the front camera lens. The light sources interfere with the imaging effect, and some defects are not clearly photographed. In contrast, the embodiment of the present invention adopts a staggered arrangement of the front and rear face shooting positions. The front light source and the front camera are coaxial, which will not interfere with the rear camera. Similarly, the rear light source will not interfere with the front face. In addition, the existing technology uses a two-roller rotation method to rotate the product. After entering the shooting position, the two rollers rotate to shoot the side face first. Then, the adjustment bar of the second roller is close to the outer end of the workpiece, so that the workpiece is positioned in the axial position. Then, the front and rear face are shot simultaneously. That is, the side face is shot first, and then the front and rear face are shot after a certain period of time. The overall time is long. In contrast, the embodiment of the present invention performs three shooting positions simultaneously. That is, the belt conveyor is one grid, and the front and rear face, side face, and loading operations are performed simultaneously. With only two steps, the overall working time is greatly reduced, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0087] In addition, when the present embodiment performs side detection, the two rollers rotate continuously (they keep rotating after the power is turned on), which saves start-up and stop time, further saving time. The workpiece above rotates smoothly and at a uniform speed, and the number of shots can be set after the workpiece rotates one circle. The more shots, the less likely cylindrical defects are to be missed. To ensure that the circumference can be photographed, combined with the size of the lens field of view and the fact that only the image of the focused plane will be clear, at least three shots are taken per week. The more shots, the better the effect. Of course, too many shots will extend the shooting and processing time and reduce efficiency. Considering efficiency and processing results, generally 5-7 shots are taken per week. The embodiment of the present invention uses a high frame rate camera and optimized visual algorithms to achieve 10 shots per week, which is more comprehensive and eliminates defects.

[0088] The embodiment of the present invention innovatively turns the synchronous belt over and installs it in reverse (with the teeth facing outward), and feeds the ferrules into the belt tooth grooves one by one. A front-end visual inspection mechanism and a rear-end visual inspection mechanism are respectively arranged on both sides of the synchronous belt for inspection, and the front and rear ends are staggered to complete the inspection on the synchronous belt. The ferrules that fail the inspection are screened out from the synchronous belt, and the qualified ferrules are left on the synchronous belt. As the belt moves forward step by step, the equipment can work uninterruptedly and continuously, thereby improving work efficiency. A semicircular block is used on one side of the driving wheel to successfully transfer the ferrule to the V-shaped groove, and the ferrule on the V-shaped groove is inserted by using a straight vibration and a push cylinder. The cores are pushed one by one onto a pair of rollers rotating in the same direction, driving the core to rotate and realizing side detection. Under the action of the direct vibration and expansion pushing cylinder, the tested core is pushed into the material box, and the next core is sent to the detection position at the same time to realize uninterrupted detection. A cylindrical screening mechanism is arranged under the roller. The screening mechanism is provided with multiple channels. According to the detection results of the side detection mechanism, the cylindrical screening mechanism aligns the corresponding blanking channel with the blanking port of the roller, and the detected product falls into the corresponding material box. The embodiment of the present invention can complete all the detections on the same device, with a compact structure, which greatly improves the detection efficiency of the equipment.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention can complete front, back, and side inspections simultaneously using the same device. Failure to complete all inspections simultaneously increases the likelihood of contamination during product collection and transfer. This single inspection approach is highly efficient and cost-effective. Traditional image comparison algorithms, however, suffer from low recognition capabilities and are prone to missed or incorrect detections, making them impractical for practical use. This device, however, utilizes state-of-the-art AI recognition algorithms to enhance recognition capabilities.

[0090] The above description further details the present invention in conjunction with specific / preferred embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these descriptions. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, they may make various substitutions or modifications to the described embodiments, and these substitutions or modifications should be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "preferred embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" indicates that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with such embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of these terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Persons skilled in the art may combine and assemble the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as features of different embodiments or examples, without conflicting opinions. Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of protection of the patent application.

Claims

1. A columnar product inspection machine, characterized in that: It includes a loading mechanism, a material conveying mechanism, a cylindrical feeding mechanism, a front face visual inspection mechanism, a rear face visual inspection mechanism and a side inspection mechanism; The loading mechanism is used to place the columnar product at a designated position of the material conveying mechanism; The material conveying mechanism is used to convey columnar products to the cylindrical feeding mechanism; The front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism are arranged on both sides of the material conveying mechanism, and are used to inspect the front face and the rear face of each columnar product respectively when the columnar product is conveyed by the material conveying mechanism; The cylindrical feeding mechanism is used to receive the cylindrical product that has been inspected on the front and rear surfaces, and drives the cylindrical product to rotate; The side detection mechanism is arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism and is used to perform 360-degree detection on the side of each cylindrical product when the cylindrical product rotates; The material conveying mechanism includes a synchronous belt, the designated position is in the tooth groove of the synchronous belt, the tooth groove surface of the synchronous belt faces the direction of the columnar product, and the synchronous belt rotates forward one tooth groove distance each time the feeding mechanism feeds a columnar product into the tooth groove of the synchronous belt; The material conveying mechanism also includes a driving wheel and a semicircular block. The synchronous belt is arranged on the circumference of the driving wheel. The outer circle of the driving wheel and the inner semicircle of the semicircular block are installed coaxially and form an arc gap. The gap ensures that the columnar product is always located in the tooth groove of the synchronous belt during the rotation of the synchronous belt and does not fall off. The gap extends all the way to the top of the cylindrical feeding mechanism to convey the columnar product to the cylindrical feeding mechanism. The front face visual detection mechanism and the rear face visual detection mechanism are staggered front and back; It also includes a vibrating plate feeding mechanism, which is used to provide columnar products to the loading mechanism. The vibrating plate feeding mechanism includes a vibrating plate, a first feeding hose, a hose connecting sleeve, and a second feeding hose connected in sequence. A corresponding sensor is fixed on the hose connecting sleeve. When the columnar product fills the second feeding hose to the sensor position of the hose connecting sleeve, the vibrating plate stops feeding. When the material level is lower than the sensor position and after a preset time delay, the vibrating plate starts feeding, thereby ensuring that the vibrating plate works intermittently and reducing the impact of vibration on the columnar product detection machine.

2. The columnar product inspection machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying mechanism includes an end face screening unit, which is used to screen out unqualified products based on the detection results of the front face visual detection mechanism and the rear face visual detection mechanism, and only retain qualified products on the material conveying mechanism.

3. The columnar product inspection machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylindrical feeding mechanism includes a cylindrical product rotating unit, which includes a cylindrical product driving wheel, a first roller and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are placed side by side. The cylindrical product driving wheel drives the first roller and the second roller to rotate in the same direction through a belt, thereby driving the cylindrical product supported between the first roller and the second roller to rotate.

4. The columnar product inspection machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cylindrical sorting mechanism, which is provided with multiple material channels. The cylindrical sorting mechanism is used to push the columnar products into the material channels for classification and placement according to the detection results of the side detection mechanism.

5. The columnar product inspection machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cylindrical sorting mechanism includes a dividing cylinder, a sliding cylinder, a guide rail and a dividing block. The dividing block includes at most 4 material boxes arranged along the guide rail. The dividing cylinder, the sliding cylinder and the dividing block are connected in sequence and arranged on the guide rail. The dividing cylinder can drive the sliding cylinder and the dividing block to move back and forth along the guide rail. The sliding cylinder can also drive the dividing block to move back and forth along the guide rail, so that the dividing block can have 4 docking positions, so that the cylindrical sorting mechanism can place different types of columnar products from the cylindrical feeding mechanism in different material boxes.

6. A detection method using the columnar product detection machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: Place the columnar product at the designated position of the material conveying mechanism through the loading mechanism; S2: conveying the columnar product to the cylindrical feeding mechanism through the material conveying mechanism; When the material conveying mechanism conveys the columnar products, the front face visual inspection mechanism and the rear face visual inspection mechanism are used to inspect the front face and rear face of each columnar product on both sides of the material conveying mechanism respectively; S3: The cylindrical product that has been inspected on the front and rear faces is received by the cylindrical feeding mechanism, and the cylindrical product is driven to rotate. At this time, the side inspection mechanism arranged above the cylindrical feeding mechanism performs 360-degree inspection on the side of the cylindrical product when the cylindrical product rotates.

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