Steel ball appearance detection unit and steel ball sorting equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a steel ball appearance detection unit and steel ball sorting equipment, and the steel ball appearance detection unit comprises a roller which is rotatably arranged on a rack and is driven by a first driving mechanism to rotate around the axis of the roller, and a detection hole channel of the roller at least has a feeding state, a detection state and a discharging state along with the change of the rotating position of the roller; the material rolling shaft is arranged in the mounting channel of the roller and can be in contact with the steel ball mounted in the detection hole channel of the roller, the extension direction of the material rolling shaft is consistent with the extension direction of the roller, and the material rolling shaft can be driven by a second driving mechanism to rotate around the axis of the material rolling shaft and driven by a third driving mechanism to reciprocate along the axis of the material rolling shaft; the steel balls in the detection hole channels of the roller are driven to rotate and unfold; and the visual detection device is used for acquiring image information of the steel balls in the detection hole channels of the roller in the detection state. The device has the advantages of small size and small occupied space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of steel ball processing devices, and in particular to a steel ball appearance detection unit and steel ball sorting equipment. Background Art

[0002] Steel balls are mechanical parts with smooth mirror-like surfaces. They are often used as rolling elements in various bearings. The degree of their defects directly affects the bearing accuracy, dynamic performance and service life. The surface quality of steel balls is an important indicator of bearing quality, so they need to be strictly tested.

[0003] For example, the Chinese invention patent application with application number CN201610457209.X (application publication number: CN105911064A) discloses a steel ball detection device, including a steel ball surface fully unfolding device and a visual sensing system. The steel ball surface fully unfolding device is provided with an unfolding disk that performs circular motion, wherein the working surface of the unfolding disk is evenly distributed with through holes adapted to the steel ball, and while the unfolding disk performs circular motion, the steel ball is also kept to perform variable axis rotation by the reciprocating motion mechanism and the rotating motion mechanism provided in the steel ball surface fully unfolding device. The visual sensing system includes a visual sensor, a camera and an image processing system, and the visual sensor captures slight changes in the reflected light on the surface of the ball and transmits them to the image processing system, and the steel ball surface fully unfolding device is also provided with a discharge port controlled by a counting position set by the image processing system. When the stepping motor of the unfolding disk is stationary, the steel ball rotates several times to fully unfold the spherical surface of the steel ball. The visual sensor captures the slight change of the reflected light on the surface of the sphere and transmits it to the image processing system. The surface defects of the steel ball are determined by the program set by the image processing system, so as to automatically identify whether the steel ball is qualified; qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls automatically enter the corresponding hoppers of qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls through the discharge port at the counting position set by the image processing system; under the control of the image processing system, the device automatically detects the surface quality of the steel balls by identifying the surface defects of the steel balls, and automatically separates qualified products from unqualified products.

[0004] The steel ball detection equipment in the above patent application still has certain shortcomings. First, the steel balls are placed in the through holes of the unfolding disk, and are specifically unfolded by a sliding platform driven by a third motor and a friction disk of non-metallic material placed at the bottom of the unfolding disk. This "disc-type" steel ball unfolding equipment is large in size, occupies a large space, and is not easy to load and unload the steel balls. Secondly, when the steel balls are inspected for appearance, they need to be placed in the through holes of the unfolding disk first, and then rotated and unfolded in the through holes. After the steel balls are fully unfolded and inspected by the visual sensor system, they enter the corresponding hoppers of qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls through the discharge port. The loading and unloading process of this appearance inspection unit is relatively cumbersome, and it is inevitable that there will be problems of collision or damage to the steel balls due to the height difference caused by excessive weight of loading and unloading. Summary of the invention

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a steel ball appearance detection unit with a small volume and a small occupation space in view of the current status of the prior art.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a steel ball appearance detection unit which can facilitate automatic loading and unloading of steel balls in view of the current status of the prior art.

[0007] The third technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a steel ball sorting device using the above-mentioned steel ball appearance detection unit in view of the current status of the prior art.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the first technical problem is: a steel ball appearance detection unit, characterized by comprising:

[0009] frame;

[0010] The roller is horizontally extended, rotatably arranged on the frame, and can be driven by the first driving mechanism to rotate around its own axis. The axial hollow of the roller forms a mounting channel. The roller is also provided with a detection channel that penetrates the mounting channel from the outside to the inside in a radial direction. The detection channel of the roller has at least a feeding state, a detection state and a discharging state as the rotation position of the roller changes. The opening direction of the detection channel of the roller in the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state and discharging state is different;

[0011] A rolling shaft is arranged in the installation channel of the roller and can contact the steel ball installed in the detection channel of the roller. The extension direction of the rolling shaft is consistent with the extension direction of the roller. The rolling shaft can rotate around its own axis under the drive of the second driving mechanism and reciprocate along its own axis under the drive of the third driving mechanism, thereby driving the steel ball in the detection channel of the roller to rotate and unfold;

[0012] The visual inspection device is located above the drum and is used to obtain image information of the steel ball in the inspection channel of the drum in the inspection state.

[0013] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the second technical problem is: in order to facilitate the loading, appearance inspection and unloading of steel balls, the detection channel of the roller has an inner port connected to the installation channel and an outer port away from the installation channel. In the loading state, the detection channel of the roller gradually extends downward from its outer port to the inner port. In the inspection state, the opening direction of the detection channel of the roller is upward. In the unloading state, the detection channel of the roller gradually extends downward from its inner port to the outer port.

[0014] In the loading state, the detection channel of the roller gradually extends downward from its outer port to the inner port. It can be understood that in order to adapt to the transmission process of the channel to be inspected to realize the automatic rolling feeding of the steel balls under their own gravity and avoid the problem of excessive rolling speed of the steel balls due to excessive slope, the angle between the extension direction of the detection channel of the roller and the horizontal direction should be selected in a suitable angle range, generally selected between 0°-15°.

[0015] In the detection state, the opening direction of the detection channel of the drum faces upward. The above-mentioned "opening direction faces upward" is not limited to the extension direction of the detection channel being the vertical direction. It can be slightly inclined at a certain angle relative to the vertical direction (such as 0°-15°).

[0016] It can be understood that, in the discharging state, the detection channel of the drum gradually extends downward from its inner port to the outer port, so that the steel ball can automatically roll and discharge under its own gravity.

[0017] In order to achieve timely sorting of qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls after the appearance inspection is completed, the inspection channel of the drum has a first discharging state and a second discharging state as the rotation position of the drum changes. The opening direction of the inspection channel in the first discharging state is different from the opening direction of the inspection channel in the second discharging state, respectively allowing qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls to roll out of the inspection channel. After the appearance inspection of the steel balls is completed, the rotation of the drum can achieve timely sorting of qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls in situ (i.e., in the inspection area), which further reduces the volume of the steel ball appearance inspection equipment and saves space.

[0018] Generally speaking, one detection channel can be set on the drum, so that after each steel ball completes the loading, detection and unloading processes in sequence, the next steel ball can be loaded. However, the detection efficiency of this method is relatively low. In order to effectively improve the detection efficiency of steel balls, there are four detection channels arranged at intervals along the circumference of the drum, and each detection channel passes through the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharge state and second discharge state in sequence as the drum rotates. The structural design of the above-mentioned drum enables the next steel ball to be loaded immediately when the previous steel ball rotates to the detection position after loading, and the cycle is carried out in sequence, which effectively improves the detection efficiency of steel balls.

[0019] In order to further improve the efficiency of steel ball appearance inspection, the four inspection holes arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller are recorded as a inspection hole group. The inspection hole group has at least two inspection holes arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the roller, and the extension directions of the two inspection holes opposite to each other in the axial direction of the roller in any two adjacent inspection hole groups are consistent.

[0020] In order to realize the rotational installation of the roller relative to the frame, the frame is provided with two vertical plates which are opposite and spaced apart, and the two ends of the roller are rotatably supported on the two vertical plates. The first driving mechanism includes a first motor, and the output shaft of the first motor is transmission-connected to one end of the roller, thereby driving the roller to rotate.

[0021] In order to realize the rotational installation of the roller shaft and the axial movement relative to the roller, one end of the roller has an installation port for the roller shaft to be installed in the roller, and the two ends of the roller shaft respectively have a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft extending axially outward, the first rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the end of the roller away from the installation port, the second rotating shaft extends out of the installation port of the roller and is rotatably connected to the corresponding vertical plate, the second driving mechanism includes a second motor, the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the second rotating shaft of the roller shaft, thereby driving the roller shaft to rotate.

[0022] In order to achieve axial reciprocating movement while the rolling shaft rotates, it also includes a sliding seat slidably arranged on the frame, and the sliding direction of the sliding seat relative to the frame is parallel to the axial direction of the roller. The second driving mechanism is arranged on the sliding seat, and the third driving mechanism includes a third motor. The third motor is connected to the sliding seat through a transmission mechanism, thereby driving the sliding seat to slide.

[0023] Generally speaking, the transmission mechanism can adopt various transmission structures that can cooperate with the driving motor to realize linear reciprocating movement, such as a connecting rod mechanism, a crank slider motion mechanism, etc. Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a cam arranged on the output shaft of the third motor and a connecting rod connected to the cam, the first end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to a position of the cam away from its rotation center, and the second end is rotatably connected to the slide seat.

[0024] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the third technical problem is: a steel ball sorting device, including a steel ball appearance detection unit, and the steel ball appearance detection unit adopts the above-mentioned steel ball appearance detection unit.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: the steel ball expansion process is carried out in the detection channel of the drum. Specifically, after the steel ball is loaded into the detection channel of the drum, it can contact the roller shaft loaded into the drum, wherein the roller shaft can reciprocate along the axial direction while rotating, thereby driving the steel ball to rotate and fully expand. This "drum-type" steel ball expansion structure is small in size and saves space. In particular, the detection channel of the drum can be in different position states as the rotation position of the drum changes, which can facilitate the loading, detection and unloading operations of the steel ball, and effectively improve the appearance detection efficiency of the steel ball. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention without the outer cover and other components;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a right view of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment of the embodiment of the present invention without the counting and packaging unit;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a vertical cross-sectional view (cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls) of the fully automatic steel ball sorting device of the embodiment of the present invention after omitting the counting and packaging unit;

[0031] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cleaning and feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cleaning and feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention (cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls);

[0033] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the sorting and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Fig. 9 It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sorting and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the first position);

[0035] Fig.10 It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inspection and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the second position, and the qualified steel balls roll out of the inspection channel and enter the first discharging rack);

[0036] Fig.11 A vertical cross-sectional view of the inspection and screening device according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the conveying direction of the steel balls (the lifting platform is in the second position, and the steel balls that fail the inspection roll out of the inspection channel and enter the second discharging rack);

[0037] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention from another angle;

[0039] Fig.14 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a steel ball feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.15 A vertical cross-sectional view of an appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the axial direction of a drum;

[0041] Fig.16 A front view of an appearance inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the counting and packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the turntable assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] In the specification and claims of the present invention, terms indicating directions, such as "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "side", "top", "bottom", etc., are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the present invention, but these terms are used here only for the purpose of convenience of description and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present invention can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only used as explanations and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0046] Figure 1-Figure 18 A preferred embodiment of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment and steel ball appearance inspection unit of the present invention is shown. The fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment includes a cleaning and feeding device, a sorting and screening device, and a counting and packaging device. Among them, the sorting and screening device includes a steel ball feeding mechanism 42, an appearance inspection unit, and a discharging rack. Specifically, a ball storage area for inspection, an inspection area, and a sorting and packaging area are sequentially arranged along the forward direction of the steel balls.

[0047] See also Figure 1-Figure 3 The cleaning and feeding device is arranged in the above-mentioned ball storage area for inspection. The sorting and screening device is arranged in the inspection area for inspecting the appearance of the steel balls and sorting and screening the qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls after the inspection. The counting and packaging device is arranged in the above-mentioned sorting and packaging area for counting and packaging the qualified steel balls.

[0048] See also Figure 5-Figure 7The cleaning and feeding device includes a ball storage hopper 20, a cleaning box 30, and a spray arm 33 arranged on the cleaning box 30. The ball storage hopper 20 is used to place the steel balls to be tested, and its bottom wall is inclined. The side of the ball storage hopper 20 is provided with a discharge port 21 for the steel balls to roll out, and the discharge port 21 corresponds to the lowest position of the bottom wall of the ball storage hopper 20. The cleaning box 30 is provided with a first opening 31 that can be connected with the discharge port 21 on a side wall adjacent to the ball storage hopper 20, and a second opening 32 for the steel balls in the cleaning box 30 to roll out on a side wall away from the ball storage hopper 20. The bottom wall of the above-mentioned cleaning box 30 is also inclined, so that the steel balls can roll from the first opening 31 to the second opening 32 under the action of their own gravity. The second opening 32 is a strip-shaped opening extending along the width direction of the cleaning box 30, wherein the width direction of the cleaning box 30 is perpendicular to the rolling or forward direction of the steel ball in the cleaning box 30. The spray assembly includes a spray arm 33, which is arranged above the cleaning box 30 and is provided with a spray hole 331. The spray arm 33 is in the shape of a long strip and also extends along the width direction of the cleaning box 30. The spray arm 33 is provided with a water storage chamber 330 with a top opening, and each spray hole 331 is provided on the bottom wall of the water storage chamber 330. A water supply connector 332 for connecting to an external water pipe is also provided at the top opening of the water storage chamber 330.

[0049] The first opening 31 of the cleaning box 30 is provided with a baffle plate 22 extending upward from the bottom wall of the cleaning box 30. After the baffle plate 22 is provided at the first opening 31, the steel balls in the ball storage hopper 20 can be rolled into the cleaning box 30 from top to bottom in sequence, so as to avoid affecting the cleaning effect due to too many steel balls in the cleaning box 30.

[0050] The cleaning and feeding device of this embodiment is provided with a cleaning box 30 on one side of the ball storage hopper 20, wherein a spray assembly is provided on the cleaning box 30, so that the cleaning operation can be carried out in time after the steel balls roll out of the ball storage hopper 20, and the steel balls are sent downstream for appearance inspection after the cleaning is completed, thereby effectively reducing the occurrence of false detection caused by surface contamination of the steel balls and improving the efficiency of steel ball sorting.

[0051] See also Figure 6 The ball storage area for inspection is also provided with a feeding rack 40, one end of which is connected to the second opening 32 of the cleaning box 30 for receiving the cleaned steel balls rolled out of the cleaning box 30, and the other end of which extends to the inspection area and is connected to the steel ball feeding mechanism 42 of the inspection area. The feeding rack 40 is provided with an inspection channel 41 which is consistent with the extension direction of the feeding rack 40, and the inspection channel 41 has at least two channels arranged in a horizontal direction in sequence, such as Figure 6Eight inspection channels 41 are shown. Each inspection channel 41 gradually tilts downward along the forward direction of the steel ball, so that the steel ball moved into the inspection channel 41 can also move forward to the position of the steel ball feeding mechanism 42 under the action of its own gravity.

[0052] See also Figure 8-Figure 16 The appearance inspection unit of the sorting and screening device includes an unfolding device 5, a visual inspection device 7 and a discharging rack. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is arranged on the side of the unfolding device 5 facing the feeding rack 40, and the discharging rack is located on the side away from the discharging rack. The unfolding device 5 includes a roller 51, a rolling shaft 52, a first driving mechanism 61, a second driving mechanism 62 and a third driving mechanism 63. The periphery of the sorting and screening device is also covered with an outer cover 55 for protection, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown.

[0053] Two vertical plates 11 are arranged opposite to each other on the top of the frame 10, and the roller 51 extends horizontally and is rotatably mounted on the two vertical plates 11. Fig.16 As shown, both ends of the roller 51 are rotatably supported in the corresponding shaft holes on the two vertical plates 11 through bearings 514. The first driving mechanism 61 includes a first motor, which is arranged on the above-mentioned frame 10. One end of the roller 51 passes through the shaft hole of the vertical plate 11 and is connected to the output shaft of the first motor. The roller 51 can rotate around its own axis driven by the first motor. The axial hollow of the roller 51 is formed with a mounting channel 511. The roller 51 has a mounting opening 512 that is connected to the mounting channel 511 at one end away from the first motor. The roller shaft 52 can be rotated from the above-mentioned mounting opening 512 into the mounting channel of the roller 51. The roller 51 is also provided with a detection channel 513 that penetrates from the outside to the inside in the radial direction to the mounting channel 511. The inner diameter of the detection channel 513 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the steel ball to be tested.

[0054] The roller shaft 52 is rotatably disposed in the mounting channel 511 of the drum 51, and the extension direction of the roller shaft 52 is consistent with the extension direction of the drum 51. The outer diameter of the main body of the roller shaft 52 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole of the drum 51, so that the roller shaft 52 can rotate freely in the mounting hole of the drum 51. During the rotation of the roller shaft 52, it can contact the steel ball installed in the detection hole 513 of the drum 51, thereby driving the steel ball to rotate in the detection hole 513. The two ends of the roller shaft 52 respectively have a first rotating shaft 521 and a second rotating shaft 522 extending axially outward, wherein the first rotating shaft 521 is rotatably connected to one end of the drum 51 away from the mounting port 512, and the second rotating shaft 522 extends out of the mounting port 512 of the drum 51 and is rotatably connected to the corresponding vertical plate 11. Fig.16As shown, a first sleeve 523 is provided at one end of the roller 51 away from the mounting opening 512, and the first rotating shaft 521 of the rolling shaft 52 is rotatably disposed in the first sleeve 523 and can slide axially in the first sleeve 523. A second sleeve 524 is provided on the vertical plate 11 opposite to the mounting opening 512 of the roller 51, and the second rotating shaft 522 of the rolling shaft 52 is rotatably disposed in the second sleeve 524 and can slide axially on the second sleeve 524. The second rotating shaft 522 of the rolling shaft 52 passes through the vertical plate 11 and extends outward for a distance, and the second driving mechanism 62 includes a second motor, and the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the second rotating shaft 522 of the rolling shaft 52, thereby driving the rolling shaft 52 to rotate. In order to realize axial reciprocating movement while the roller shaft 52 rotates, the frame 10 is also provided with a slide 12 that can move linearly relative to the frame 10. Specifically, the bottom of the slide 12 is connected to the frame 10 through a slide rail assembly 13, and the sliding direction of the slide 12 relative to the frame 10 is parallel to the axial direction of the roller 51. The second motor is arranged on the slide 12 and can move with the slide 12. The third driving mechanism 63 includes a third motor, which is fixed on the frame 10. The third motor is connected to the slide 12 through a transmission mechanism, thereby driving the slide 12 to slide. Generally speaking, the transmission mechanism can adopt various transmission structures that can cooperate with the driving motor to realize linear reciprocating movement, such as a connecting rod 142 mechanism, a crank slider movement mechanism, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a cam 141 arranged on the output shaft of the third motor and a connecting rod 142 connected to the cam 141, and the first end of the connecting rod 142 is rotatably connected to the position of the cam 141 away from its rotation center, and the second end is rotatably connected to the slide 12. When the third motor is in operation, the cam 141 cooperates with the connecting rod 142 to drive the slide seat 12 to reciprocate along the slide rail assembly 13 .

[0055] While the second motor drives the rolling shaft 52 to rotate, the third motor also operates at the same time, driving the slide 12 and the rolling shaft 52 to move back and forth in a straight line along the axial direction. In this way, the rolling shaft 52 can drive the steel balls in the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 to fully expand, so that the visual inspection device 7 can inspect the appearance of the steel balls in the detection channel 513.

[0056] See also Figure 9-11, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 has at least a feeding state, a detection state and a discharging state as the rotation position of the drum 51 changes, and the opening direction of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state and discharging state is different. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state faces the inspection channel 41, the opening of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the detection state faces the visual inspection device 7, and the opening of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the discharging state faces the discharging rack. Among them, in order to realize the timely sorting of qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls after the appearance inspection is completed, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 has a first discharging state and a second discharging state as the rotation position of the drum 51 changes, and the opening direction of the detection channel 513 in the first discharging state is different from the opening direction of the detection channel 513 in the second discharging state, respectively allowing qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls to roll out of the detection channel 513. The detection channel 513 of the drum 51 has an inner port 5132 connected to the installation channel 511 and an outer port 5131 away from the installation channel 511. In the loading state, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 gradually extends downward from its outer port 5131 to the inner port 5132, so that the steel ball placed at the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513 can automatically roll to the inner port 5132 under the action of its own gravity, and will not easily escape from the detection channel 513. In the detection state, the opening direction of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 is upward, opposite to the visual detection device 7 located above the frame 10, which is used to obtain image information of the steel ball in the detection channel 513 during the expansion process, and analyze the image information of the steel ball in the acquisition, and then judge whether there are defects in the appearance of the steel ball. The visual detection device 7 can adopt various detection devices capable of realizing the above functions in the prior art, which generally include a visual sensor, a camera and an image processing system. The visual sensor captures slight changes in the reflected light on the surface of the sphere and transmits them to the image processing system. For example, the Chinese invention patent application with application number CN201610457209.X (application publication number: CN105911064A) discloses such a visual detection device 7. In the discharging state, the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 gradually extends downward from its inner port 5132 to the outer port 5131, so as to facilitate the automatic rolling out of the steel ball in the detection channel 513. The discharging rack includes a first discharging rack 541 and a second discharging rack 542, wherein the first discharging rack 541 is used to receive the steel ball rolled out from the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the first discharging state, and the second discharging rack 542 is used to receive the steel ball rolled out from the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the second discharging state.The first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 are arranged in sequence from top to bottom, and the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and the second discharging state extends gradually downward from its inner port 5132 to the outer port 5131, wherein the angle formed between the extension direction of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the second discharging state and the horizontal direction is recorded as the second angle, and the angle formed between the extension direction of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and the horizontal direction is recorded as the first angle. In order to avoid interference between the roller 51 and the corresponding first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 during rotation, the second angle is greater than the first angle. Specifically, the first angle is recorded as α, and the value range of α is: 0°<α<15°; the second angle is recorded as β, and the value range of β is: 90°<β<105°.

[0057] Combination Fig.10 and Fig.11 The ball blocking assembly 53 includes a ball blocking member 531 that can be driven by a fourth driving mechanism 532 to move between a ball blocking position and a ball releasing position. When the ball blocking member 531 is in the ball blocking position, the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state is blocked by the ball blocking member 531. When the ball blocking member 531 is in the ball releasing position, the ball blocking member 531 is away from the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state, and allows the steel ball in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to roll out. The fourth driving mechanism 532 includes a first pneumatic push rod. The ball blocking member 531 is connected to the end of the telescopic rod of the first pneumatic push rod. When the first pneumatic push rod is telescopic, the ball blocking member 531 can extend to the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state and retract away from the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513. The ball blocking member 531 can be a rod body or a plate body structure. The steel ball sorting device also includes a controller, wherein the first drive mechanism 61, the fourth drive mechanism 532 and the visual inspection device 7 are all electrically connected to the controller, and the controller can control the first drive mechanism 61 and the fourth drive mechanism 532 to operate according to the steel ball detection information obtained from the visual inspection device 7 so that the qualified steel balls and the unqualified steel balls that have completed the inspection roll out of the inspection channel 513 when the roller 51 rotates to the corresponding first discharging state position and the second discharging state position, respectively. Specifically, when the visual inspection device 7 detects that there is no defect in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be qualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated under the drive of the first drive mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the qualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state. At the same time, the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 opens the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513, and the steel balls can automatically roll out and fall onto the first discharging rack 541, as shown in FIG. Fig.10When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there are defects in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be unqualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated by the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state, but the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 is in the ball blocking position, that is, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is blocked, and the steel ball will not roll out. When the roller 51 rotates further, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the second discharging state. At this time, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is away from the ball blocking member 531, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542. Fig. 9 and Fig.11 shown.

[0058] After the steel ball appearance inspection is completed, the qualified steel balls and unqualified steel balls can be timely sorted in situ (i.e., in the inspection area) through the rotation of the roller 51, which further reduces the volume of the steel ball appearance inspection equipment and saves the occupied space. In particular, the first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 are arranged in layers up and down, which can be adapted to the inspection channels 513 at different inclination angles, and further utilize the upper and lower spaces to reduce the occupied area.

[0059] Generally speaking, one detection channel 513 can be provided on the roller 51, so that the loading process of the next steel ball can be carried out after each steel ball has completed the loading, detection and unloading processes in sequence. However, the detection efficiency of this method is relatively low. In order to effectively improve the detection efficiency of steel balls, in a preferred embodiment, there are four detection channels 513 arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller 51, and each detection channel 513 passes through the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharging state and second discharging state in sequence as the roller 51 rotates. Furthermore, the four detection channels 513 arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller 51 are recorded as a detection hole group, and the detection hole group has at least two detection holes arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the roller 51, and the extension directions of the two detection holes 513 opposite to each other in the axial direction of the roller 51 in any two adjacent detection hole groups are consistent, and the ball blocking assemblies 53 have at least two corresponding to the number of the above-mentioned detection hole groups. Fig.16 As shown, corresponding to the eight channels 41 to be inspected, there are eight detection hole groups, and there are also eight corresponding ball blocking assemblies 53 .

[0060] The first discharging rack 541 and the second discharging rack 542 of this embodiment are gradually inclined downward from the end close to the roller 51 to the end far away from the roller 51, so that after the steel ball falls from the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to the corresponding discharging rack, it can continue to roll forward under the action of its own gravity.

[0061] See also Figure 2The steel ball sorting equipment of this embodiment also includes a return rack 18 and a cleaning tank 17. The first end of the return rack 18 is connected to the second discharging rack 542, and is used to receive unqualified steel balls from the second discharging rack 542, and the second end extends to the location of the cleaning tank 17. The return rack 18 is also tilted as a whole, so that the steel balls can roll along the return rack 18 and fall into the cleaning tank 17 under the action of their own gravity. After the unqualified steel balls are cleaned in the cleaning tank 17, they can be put back into the ball storage hopper 20 for a new round of inspection and sorting.

[0062] See also Figure 12-14 The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is arranged at the end position of the inspection channel 41, between the roller 51 of the unfolding device 5 and the feeding rack 40, and can be specifically installed as a module component on two opposite vertical plates 11 on the frame 10. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 is used to separate the steel balls a coming from the inspection channel 41 and transfer them to the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the feeding state. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 includes a fixed platform 421, a lifting platform 422 and a lifting drive mechanism 423. The lifting drive mechanism 423 includes a lifting cylinder, which is fixed on the second bracket 162, and the second bracket 162 is a horizontal cross frame, which is arranged on the above-mentioned two vertical plate 11 brackets, and the fixed platform 421 is connected to the bottom of the cross frame through two vertically extending connecting rods. The lifting platform 422 is also located below the cross frame, between the fixed platform 421 and the end of the inspection channel 41, and is connected to the end of the telescopic rod of the lifting cylinder. The left and right sides of the top of the lifting platform 422 also have guide rods extending upward, and the horizontal frame is provided with guide sleeves adapted to the guide rods. The top of the fixed platform 421 is provided with a first rolling groove 4211, which gradually tilts downward along the forward direction of the steel ball. When the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 is in the loading state, the end port of the first rolling groove 4211 is connected to the outer port 5131 of the detection channel 513, so that the steel ball moved to the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421 can automatically roll into the detection channel 513 of the roller 51.

[0063] The lifting platform 422 can move between the first position and the second position driven by the lifting cylinder. A second rolling groove 4221 is provided on the top of the lifting platform 422, and the second rolling groove 4221 gradually tilts downward along the forward direction of the steel ball. When the lifting platform 422 is in the above-mentioned first position state, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is lower than the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421, and is connected to or lower than the end port of the channel to be inspected 41, so that the steel ball in the channel to be inspected 41 can roll and stay in the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422, wherein the extension dimension of the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is greater than the outer diameter dimension of one steel ball to be inspected, but less than the sum of the outer diameter dimensions of two steel balls to be inspected, thereby allowing only one steel ball to enter the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422. When the lifting platform 422 is in the above-mentioned second position state, the lifting platform 422 moves upward until the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is higher than the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421 or is connected with the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421, so that the steel balls staying in the second rolling groove 4221 can roll into the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421. At the same time, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is also higher than the end position of the inspection channel 41 of the feeding rack 40, so as to block the subsequent steel balls in the inspection channel 41 from entering the above-mentioned second rolling groove 4221.

[0064] See also Fig.17 and Fig.18 After the qualified steel balls are sorted by the steel ball sorting and screening structure, they are transferred forward to the counting and packaging device in the counting and packaging area through the first discharging rack 541 for automatic counting and packaging. The steel ball sorting equipment includes a conveying rack, a first sensor 831, a second sensor 832, a first material stopper assembly 85a, a second material stopper assembly 85b and a turntable assembly 8.

[0065] The turntable assembly 8 comprises a rotating disk 81, a turntable driving mechanism 82 for driving the rotating disk 81 to rotate, and collection boxes 811 arranged on the rotating disk 81 in sequence along the circumference of the rotating disk 81. The rotating disk 81 is arranged horizontally, and its rotating shaft extending vertically is rotatably arranged on the workbench 15. The turntable driving mechanism 82 comprises a turntable driving motor arranged at the bottom of the workbench 15, and the output shaft of the turntable driving motor extends upward and is connected to the middle part of the rotating disk 81 by transmission, so as to drive the rotating disk 81 to rotate. Each collection box 811 on the rotating disk 81 is a fan-shaped box or a trapezoidal box with a large outer end size and a small inner end size, thereby the space at the top of the rotating disk can be used as much as possible to place the collection box 811. When collecting steel balls, an open packaging bag can be placed in the collection box 811 to receive the steel balls. After the counting and packaging is completed, a new packaging bag can be replaced to receive the steel balls.

[0066] One end of the conveying frame is connected to the first discharging frame 541 for receiving the steel balls after the inspection, and the other end extends to the position of the rotating disk 81 for conveying the steel balls to the collecting box 811. The conveying frame of this embodiment includes a first conveying frame 841 and a second conveying frame 842 which are connected in sequence along the conveying direction of the steel balls and have a height difference at the connection. The first conveying frame 841 and the second conveying frame 842 are gradually tilted downward along the forward direction of the steel balls, and the steel balls are automatically conveyed forward under their own gravity. The height of the feeding end of the second conveying frame 842 is lower than the height of the end of the first conveying frame 841, and the second conveying frame 842 is provided with an oil spraying component 843 for spraying anti-rust oil on the steel balls passing through. The oil spraying component 843 can be set at the feeding end of the second conveying frame 842.

[0067] Taking into account that steel balls of other specifications and sizes, especially small steel balls, may be mixed in the ball storage hopper 20, in order to automatically separate the small steel balls, a ball drop port 8410 is also opened at the bottom of the first conveying rack 841. The ball drop port 8410 is a strip-shaped port extending along the conveying rack. The width of the ball drop port 8410 is smaller than the outer diameter of the steel ball to be inspected, but larger than the outer diameter of other small steel balls. In this way, during the steel ball conveying process, steel balls smaller than the set diameter can be automatically separated.

[0068] The second transmission frame 842 is provided with a first sensor 831 for detecting the number of steel balls passing through and a second sensor 832 for detecting whether there are steel balls at the current position on the second transmission frame 842. Along the forward direction of the steel balls on the second transmission frame 842, the first sensor 831 is located in front of the second sensor 832. The first sensor 831 and the second sensor 832 can both be infrared sensors. The above-mentioned first sensor 831 and the turntable drive mechanism 82 are both electrically connected to the controller, and the controller controls the start and stop of the turntable drive mechanism 82 according to whether the steel ball number signal transmitted by the first sensor 831 meets the packaging needs. For example, when the first sensor 831 detects that the number of steel balls transmitted reaches a set number, the turntable drive mechanism 82 starts, drives the rotating disk 81 to rotate a set angle and then stops, so that another empty collection box 811 adjacent to the rotating disk 81 moves to a position corresponding to the end of the second transmission frame 842, and then the first sensor 831 re-counts.

[0069] In addition, considering that it takes a certain amount of time for the rotating disk 81 to rotate and switch the position of the collection box 811, after the set number of steel balls is counted, it is necessary to block other steel balls coming from the upstream. For this purpose, it also includes a first stopper assembly 85a and a second stopper assembly 85b arranged on the conveying frame. Specifically, the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b are both arranged on the second conveying frame 842. Along the forward direction of the steel balls on the second conveying frame 842, the first stopper assembly 85a is located in front of the second stopper assembly 85b, the first sensor 831 is located in front of the first stopper assembly 85a, and the second sensor 832 is located behind the second stopper assembly 85b. The distance between the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b is selected according to the specifications of the steel balls, that is, through the cooperation of the stopper and discharge action of the first stopper assembly 85a in the second stopper assembly 85b, the area between the first stopper assembly 85a and the second stopper assembly 85b on the second conveying frame 842 can retain the set number of steel balls. The first material stopper assembly 85a and the second material stopper assembly 85b have the same structure, both including a material stopper rod 851 and a material stopper driving mechanism 852. The side of the second conveying frame 842 has a third bracket extending upward, and the material stopper driving mechanism 852 is a second pneumatic push rod, which is arranged on the third bracket. The telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod can extend downward and retract upward. The material stopper rod 851 is connected to the bottom of the telescopic rod of the second pneumatic push rod, and is driven by the second pneumatic push rod to reciprocate between the material stopper position that blocks the steel ball from moving forward along the conveying frame and the material discharge position that removes the blocking of the steel ball. The material stopper driving mechanism 852 and the second sensor 832 of the first material stopper assembly 85a and the second material stopper assembly 85b are electrically connected to the controller, and the controller controls the material stopper driving mechanism 852 of the two material stopper assemblies to start and close according to the signal of whether there is a steel ball at the current position transmitted by the second sensor 832.The specific action process is as follows: at the beginning, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a moves down to block the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking assembly 85b moves up to release the balls, then the steel balls will be filled in sequence from the position of the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a to the back, and when it is full to the position of the sensing area of ​​the second sensor 832, the second sensor 832 recognizes this. At this time, the section between the first blocking assembly 85a and the second blocking assembly 85b is also full of balls, and contains a set number of steel balls (the number of steel balls is a common divisor of the number of boxes in a collection box, such as a box of 300 steel balls, and the number of balls of the two blocking assemblies is 25), then After that, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking assembly 85a moves up to release the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking assembly 85b moves down to block the balls, and the timing starts at the same time. After the set time (the set time can ensure that all the steel balls between the two blocking assemblies are rolled out), the blocking rod of the first blocking assembly 85a moves down again to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second blocking assembly 85b moves up again to release the balls. After repeatedly reaching the number of steel balls required by a collection box 811, the controller controls the turntable drive mechanism 82 to drive the rotating disk 81 to rotate one grid, that is, the next adjacent collection box 811 moves to the set position, and then the count is reset. In some cases, due to abnormalities, sometimes the number is insufficient at a certain time, such as 24, and the number will be supplemented, and the ball will not be released when the rotating disk rotates.

[0070] The working process of the fully automatic steel ball sorting equipment of this embodiment is as follows:

[0071] The steel balls to be sorted and screened are placed in the ball storage hopper 20. Since the ball storage hopper 20 is tilted, it will automatically enter the cleaning box 30. The spray assembly on the cleaning box 30 cleans the steel balls. After cleaning, the steel balls automatically roll out and move to the feeding rack 40 connected to the cleaning box 30. The feeding rack 40 is provided with a plurality of inspection channels 41 arranged side by side, and the steel balls are transported at the same time. The feeding rack 40 is also tilted, and the steel balls in the inspection channels 41 automatically roll forward to the steel ball feeding mechanism 42. The steel ball feeding mechanism 42 can separate the steel balls transported to the end of the inspection channel 41 and transfer them to the detection channel 513 of the unfolding device 5. Specifically, the lifting platform 422 can move between the first position and the second position driven by the lifting cylinder. When the lifting platform 422 is in the first position, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is lower than the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421, and is connected to or lower than the end port of the channel 41 to be inspected, so that the last steel ball in the channel 41 to be inspected can roll and stay in the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422. When loading is required, the lifting platform 422 moves up to the second position. At this time, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is higher than the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421 or is connected to the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421. The steel ball staying in the second rolling groove 4221 can automatically roll to the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421. At the same time, the second rolling groove 4221 of the lifting platform 422 is also higher than the end position of the channel 41 to be inspected of the feeding rack 40 to prevent the subsequent steel balls in the channel 41 to be inspected from entering the second rolling groove 4221. The drum 51 of the unfolding device 5 has four detection holes 513 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The four detection holes 513 have a feeding state, a detection state, a first discharging state and a second discharging state in sequence as the rotation position of the drum 51 changes. Figure 9-11, the opening direction of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharging state and second discharging state is different. When one of the detection channels 513 is in the feeding state, the other detection channels 513 are in the detection state, the first discharging state and the second discharging state respectively. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the above-mentioned feeding state faces the channel to be inspected 41 (that is, toward the fixed platform 421 of the steel ball feeding mechanism 42), and the steel balls in the first rolling groove 4211 of the fixed platform 421 automatically roll into the detection channel 513. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the detection state faces upward, that is, toward the visual inspection device 7 above. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 in the first discharging state faces the first discharging rack 541, and the qualified steel balls in the detection channel 513 automatically roll out and fall on the first discharging rack 541. The opening of the detection channel 513 of the drum 51 in the second discharging state faces the second discharging rack 542 , and the unqualified steel balls in the detection channel 513 automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542 .

[0072] When the steel ball entering the detection channel 513 rotates with the roller 51 to the detection state, the second motor drives the rolling shaft 52 to rotate, and the third motor also operates at the same time, driving the slide 12 and the rolling shaft 52 to move back and forth in a straight line along the axial direction. In this way, the rolling shaft 52 can drive the steel ball in the detection channel 513 of the roller 51 to fully expand, so that the visual inspection device 7 can inspect the appearance of the steel ball in the detection channel 513.

[0073] When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there is no defect in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is judged to be qualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated under the drive of the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the qualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state. At the same time, the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 opens the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the first discharging rack 541. Fig.10 When the visual inspection device 7 detects that there are defects in the appearance of the steel ball in the corresponding inspection channel 513, the steel ball is determined to be unqualified. After the roller 51 is further rotated under the drive of the first driving mechanism 61, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the first discharging state, but the ball blocking member 531 of the ball blocking assembly 53 is in the ball blocking position, that is, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is blocked, and the steel ball will not roll out. When the roller 51 rotates further, the inspection channel 513 where the unqualified steel ball is placed is in the second discharging state. At this time, the outer port 5131 of the inspection channel 513 is away from the ball blocking member 531, and the steel ball can automatically roll out and fall onto the second discharging rack 542.

[0074] After the unqualified steel balls fall onto the second discharging rack 542, they roll along the second discharging rack 542 to the return rack 18, and are sent to the corresponding cleaning tank 17 by the return rack 18. After being cleaned in the cleaning tank 17, they can be put back into the ball storage hopper 20 for a new round of inspection and sorting.

[0075] After the qualified steel balls fall onto the first discharging rack 541, they roll along the first discharging rack 541 to the counting and packaging area and are automatically counted and packaged by the counting and packaging unit. The first conveying rack 841 of the counting and packaging unit is connected with the first discharging rack 541. During the conveying process of the steel balls along the first conveying rack 841, the steel balls smaller than the set diameter fall at the ball drop port 8410, and are automatically separated. The second conveying rack 842 of the counting and packaging unit is connected with the first conveying rack 841, and an oil spraying assembly 843 is provided on it, which is used to spray anti-rust oil on the passing steel balls. The second conveying rack 842 is provided with a first sensor 831, a second sensor 832, a first material blocking assembly 85a, and a second material blocking assembly 85b. At the beginning, the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking component 85a moves down to block the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second blocking component 85b moves up to release the balls, then the steel balls will be filled in sequence from the position of the blocking rod 851 of the first blocking component 85a to the back, and when it is full to the position of the sensing area of ​​the second sensor 832, the second sensor 832 recognizes this. At this time, the section between the first blocking component 85a and the second blocking component 85b is also full of balls, and contains a set number of steel balls (the number of steel balls is a common divisor of the number of boxes in a collection box, such as a box of 300 steel balls, and the number of balls in the two blocking components is 25). Then, the first blocking component 85a is The blocking rod 851 of the material blocking component 85a moves up to release the balls, and the blocking rod 851 of the second material blocking component 85b moves down to block the balls, and the timing starts at the same time. After the set time (the set time can ensure that all the steel balls between the two material blocking components roll out), the blocking rod of the first material blocking component 85a moves down again to block the balls, and the blocking rod of the second material blocking component 85b moves up again to release the balls. After repeatedly reaching the required number of steel balls of a collection box 811, the controller controls the turntable drive mechanism 82 to drive the rotating disk 81 to rotate one grid, that is, the next adjacent collection box 811 moves to the set position, and then the count is reset.

Claims

1. A steel ball appearance detection unit, characterized in that include: Frame (10); The roller (51) extends horizontally, is rotatably mounted on the frame (10), and can be driven by the first driving mechanism (61) to rotate around its own axis. The roller (51) is axially hollow to form a mounting channel (511). The roller (51) is also provided with a detection channel (513) which penetrates the mounting channel (511) from the outside to the inside in a radial direction. The detection channel (513) of the roller (51) has at least a feeding state, a detection state, and a discharging state as the rotation position of the roller (51) changes. The opening direction of the detection channel (513) of the roller (51) in the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, and discharging state is different. A rolling shaft (52) is arranged in the installation channel (511) of the roller (51) and can contact the steel ball installed in the detection channel (513) of the roller (51). The extension direction of the rolling shaft (52) is consistent with the extension direction of the roller (51). The rolling shaft (52) can rotate around its own axis under the drive of the second driving mechanism (62) and reciprocate along its own axis under the drive of the third driving mechanism (63), thereby driving the steel ball in the detection channel (513) of the roller (51) to rotate and expand. The visual inspection device (7) is located above the drum (51) and is used to obtain image information of the steel ball in the inspection channel (513) of the drum (51) in the inspection state.

2. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection channel (513) of the roller (51) comprises an inner port (5132) connected to the mounting channel (511) and an outer port (5131) away from the mounting channel (511); in a loading state, the detection channel (513) of the roller (51) gradually extends downwardly from its outer port (5131) to the inner port (5132); in a detection state, the opening direction of the detection channel (513) of the roller (51) faces upward; in a discharging state, the detection channel (513) of the roller (51) gradually extends downwardly from its inner port (5132) to the outer port (5131).

3. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The detection channel (513) of the roller (51) has a first discharge state and a second discharge state as the rotation position of the roller (51) changes. The opening direction of the detection channel (513) in the first discharge state is different from the opening direction of the detection channel (513) in the second discharge state, respectively allowing steel balls that pass the test and steel balls that fail the test to roll out of the detection channel (513).

4. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are four detection channels (513) arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller (51), and each detection channel (513) passes through the above-mentioned feeding state, detection state, first discharging state and second discharging state in sequence as the roller (51) rotates.

5. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The four detection holes (513) arranged at intervals along the circumference of the roller (51) are recorded as a detection hole group, and the detection hole group has at least two detection holes arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the roller (51), and the extension directions of the two detection holes (513) opposite to each other in the axial direction of the roller (51) in any two adjacent detection hole groups are consistent.

6. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The frame (10) is provided with two vertical plates (11) which are arranged opposite to each other and at an interval, and the two ends of the roller (51) are rotatably supported on the two vertical plates (11). The first driving mechanism (61) comprises a first motor, and the output shaft of the first motor is drivingly connected to one end of the roller (51), thereby driving the roller (51) to rotate.

7. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: One end of the roller (51) has an installation opening (512) for the rolling shaft (52) to be installed into the roller (51), and the two ends of the rolling shaft (52) respectively have a first rotating shaft (521) and a second rotating shaft (522) extending axially outward, the first rotating shaft (521) is rotatably connected to one end of the roller (51) away from the installation opening (512), and the second rotating shaft (522) extends out of the installation opening (512) of the roller (51) and is rotatably connected to the corresponding vertical plate (11), and the second driving mechanism (62) includes a second motor, and the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the second rotating shaft (522) of the rolling shaft (52), thereby driving the rolling shaft (52) to rotate.

8. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a slide seat (12) slidably arranged on the frame (10), the sliding direction of the slide seat (12) relative to the frame (10) is parallel to the axial direction of the roller (51), the second driving mechanism (62) is arranged on the slide seat (12), and the third driving mechanism (63) includes a third motor, which is connected to the slide seat (12) through a transmission mechanism, thereby driving the slide seat (12) to slide.

9. The steel ball appearance detection unit according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism comprises a cam (141) arranged on the output shaft of the third motor and a connecting rod (142) connected to the cam (141); a first end of the connecting rod (142) is rotatably connected to a position of the cam (141) away from its rotation center, and a second end of the connecting rod (142) is rotatably connected to the slide seat (12).

10. A steel ball sorting device, comprising a steel ball appearance detection unit, characterized in that: The steel ball appearance detection unit adopts the steel ball appearance detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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