A visual-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of based on vision's veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and detection method, belong to appearance detection technical field.A kind of based on vision's veterinary drug appearance defect detection device, including vibrating disc equipment, still include: feed channel, the feed end of feed channel is connected with the discharge end of vibrating disc equipment, and sieve structure is arranged on feed channel;Detection channel, detection channel and feed channel are interconnected, and detection device is arranged on detection channel;Conveying mechanism, conveying mechanism is arranged on detection channel;And feed channel, the feed end of feed channel is obliquely arranged in the discharge end of detection channel;The application is seamlessly coupled by the information process of visual detection with size screening, space overturn, surface cleaning, track sorting and other physical processes, forms an automatic, intelligent veterinary tablet appearance quality detection assembly line, realizes the automatic appearance detection of high efficiency, clean of tablet full surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of appearance inspection technology, and in particular to a vision-based device and method for detecting appearance defects in veterinary drugs. Background Technology

[0002] Veterinary drugs are essential substances for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of animal diseases and the regulation of physiological functions. Among them, tablet veterinary drugs are widely used in the livestock industry due to their accurate dosage and convenient administration. The production quality of tablets directly affects their efficacy and safety; therefore, strict appearance inspection must be carried out before they leave the factory to eliminate substandard products with defects such as defects, cracks, stains, uneven color, and abnormal dimensions (thickness, diameter).

[0003] Currently, the appearance inspection of veterinary drug tablets mainly relies on two methods: First, manual visual inspection. This method is labor-intensive, inefficient, and prone to causing visual fatigue over long periods. Furthermore, standardized inspection criteria are difficult to enforce, leading to a high risk of missed detections and misjudgments. Second, automated visual inspection equipment is used. Existing equipment often employs a flat conveyor belt with a single top camera for inspection. Its drawback is that a single image typically only captures information from the top or one side of the tablet, failing to achieve comprehensive inspection of the entire surface (especially the bottom). This results in tablets with defects such as bottom stains and indentations passing inspection. Although some equipment attempts to achieve multi-angle imaging through robotic grippers or complex multi-camera systems, the former is inefficient and prone to damaging tablets, while the latter is structurally complex, costly, and difficult to calibrate and maintain. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems in existing veterinary drug tablet appearance inspection processes, such as high labor intensity, low efficiency, inconsistent inspection standards, and high rates of missed detections and false positives due to manual visual inspection; existing automated vision inspection equipment, with its single-camera top-view, cannot detect defects on the bottom surface of tablets, resulting in a high rate of missed detections; multi-camera surround systems are complex, costly, and difficult to calibrate and maintain; tablet flipping easily causes damage and powder loss, failing to meet the clean production requirements of veterinary drug GMP; and the lack of a pre-screening stage leads to a high computational load on the vision system and a tendency for equipment jamming. Therefore, this invention proposes a vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and method, which involves sorting the tablets during feeding. The entire process of tablet sorting, from unordered feeding to automatic sorting of qualified / unqualified tablets, is fully automated and continuously inspected through modular optimization. The system is driven by a single conveyor motor and features a complete linkage technology solution. The system integrates a two-stage size pre-screening mechanism with double stops and no power, an upper spiral chute, a double belt clamping and flipping mechanism, a lower spiral chute forming a double-sided full-circumference imaging mechanism, a conveying, flipping, and cleaning linkage mechanism driven by a single conveyor motor, and a vision-inspection-linked airflow jet automatic sorting mechanism. Through the organic combination of pure mechanical transmission and electrical control, the system achieves fully automated and continuous inspection of tablets from disordered feeding to automatic sorting of qualified / unqualified products.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device includes a vibratory feeder device, and further includes: The material conveying channel has its inlet end connected to the outlet end of the vibrating plate device, and a screening structure is provided on the material conveying channel. The detection channel is connected to the material conveying channel, and the detection channel is equipped with detection equipment. A conveying mechanism, which is installed on the detection channel, is used to convey tablet veterinary drugs in the detection channel; And a feeding channel, wherein the feeding end of the feeding channel is inclinedly disposed at the discharge end of the detection channel; The material feeding channel is also equipped with a discharge structure for discharging waste products.

[0006] Preferably, the screening structure includes a large-sized baffle and a small-sized baffle fixed on the conveying channel. The conveying channel has a first discharge port at the large-sized baffle and a second discharge port at the small-sized baffle. Both the large-sized baffle and the small-sized baffle have guide slopes facing the feeding direction. The large-sized stop is positioned in front of the small-sized stop, and the distance between the bottom wall of the large-sized stop and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel is greater than the distance between the small-sized stop and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel.

[0007] Preferably, the detection channel includes a first channel connected to the second discharge port, an upper spiral trough fixedly connected to the discharge end of the first channel, a second channel fixedly connected to the discharge end of the upper spiral trough, an arc-shaped seat fixedly connected to the discharge end of the second channel, a third channel fixedly connected to the other end of the arc-shaped seat, and a lower spiral trough fixedly connected to the discharge end of the third channel. The inlet end of the discharge channel is fixedly connected to the outlet end of the lower spiral trough.

[0008] Preferably, the detection device is provided in two sets, which are respectively installed on the upper spiral trough and the lower spiral trough. The detection device includes a mounting bracket and a detection camera installed on the mounting bracket. A control panel is provided on the outside of the vibratory feeder device, and the control panel is electrically connected to the detection camera.

[0009] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes a first conveying component disposed on a first channel, a second conveying component disposed on a second channel, and a turning wheel disposed on an arc-shaped seat via a rotating shaft.

[0010] Preferably, the first conveying assembly includes a first support plate fixed on the first channel, a first conveying roller rotatably mounted on the first support plate, a first auxiliary roller rotatably mounted at the feed end of the first channel, and a first conveyor belt slidably mounted between the first conveying roller, the turning wheel, and the first auxiliary roller. The first conveyor belt slides within the first channel and the third channel, and a conveying motor for driving the first conveying roller to rotate is mounted on the first support plate.

[0011] Preferably, the second conveying assembly includes a second support plate fixed on the second channel, a second conveying roller rotatably disposed on the second support plate, a second auxiliary roller rotatably disposed at the feed end of the second channel, and a second conveying belt slidably disposed between the second conveying roller, the turning wheel, and the second auxiliary roller, wherein the second conveying belt slides within the second channel; Both the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller are provided with a first synchronous pulley, and a first synchronous belt is provided between the two first synchronous pulleys.

[0012] Preferably, the bottom of the second channel is further provided with a third support plate and a fourth support plate, and a roll for winding a cleaning cloth is sleeved on the third support plate and the fourth support plate. The cleaning cloth moves against the outer wall of the second conveyor belt. A second synchronous pulley is provided on both the two rolls and the rotating shaft, and a second synchronous belt is provided between several second synchronous pulleys. A receiving groove is provided between the third and fourth support plates.

[0013] Preferably, the discharge structure includes a third discharge port opened on the discharge channel, and an airflow jetting device is provided on the opposite side of the third discharge port in the discharge channel.

[0014] This invention also discloses a vision-based method for detecting appearance defects in veterinary drugs, which involves using the aforementioned vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and includes the following steps: S1: Place the veterinary drug tablets to be tested into the hopper of the vibratory feeder, start the vibratory feeder, the vibratory feeder will arrange the disordered tablets in an orderly manner and send them into the conveying channel. At the same time, start the control panel and the detection camera. S2: The tablets move forward in the conveying channel and first pass through the large-sized baffle. Tablets that exceed the thickness limit are intercepted by the baffle and discharged from the first outlet along the guide slope and fall into the waste bag. Tablets that pass through the large-sized baffle continue to move forward and reach the small-sized baffle. Qualified tablets with the standard thickness are intercepted and enter the first channel of the detection channel from the second discharge port along its guide slope. Thin defective products pass under the small-sized baffle and are finally discharged and collected from the end of the conveying channel. S3: Start the conveyor motor, drive the first conveyor roller to rotate, drive the first conveyor belt to run, and convey the tablets that have entered the first channel to the upper spiral trough. Under the action of gravity, the tablets rotate and slide down the upper spiral trough. During this process, the detection camera fixedly installed at the upper spiral trough continuously takes pictures of the top and upper side of the tablets. S4: After being detected by the upper spiral feed trough, the tablets slide into the second channel. The second conveyor belt runs synchronously under the linkage of the first synchronous belt and the first synchronous pulley, receiving and conveying the tablets. When the tablet is conveyed to the flipping wheel at the arc seat, the first conveyor belt above and the second conveyor belt below clamp the tablet together and wrap it around the flipping wheel to complete a 180-degree flip, sending the tablet into the third channel. S5: The tablets entering the third channel are continued to be conveyed to the lower spiral trough by the first conveyor belt. The tablets rotate and slide down the lower spiral trough. Since the tablets have been flipped, the original downward surface becomes upward. Another set of detection cameras set at the lower spiral trough continuously takes pictures of the original bottom surface and the lower half of the side of the tablets. S6: Tablets that have completed double-sided inspection slide from the lower spiral feed chute into the inclined feeding channel. The control panel combines the detection results of the two cameras to make a judgment. When a tablet that is determined to be unqualified slides to the third discharge port, the air jet device is activated to blow it out of the third discharge port and into the waste bag. Qualified tablets pass through smoothly and fall into the good product collection container from the end of the feeding channel. S7: During the entire conveying and turning process, the rotating shaft of the turning wheel drives the two drums to rotate slowly through the second synchronous wheel and the second synchronous belt, so that the cleaning cloth moves continuously and wipes the surface of the second conveyor belt with the clean side. The contaminated cleaning cloth is rolled up to one side of the drum, and the dust that falls off during this process falls into the receiving trough below.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and method, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. In this invention, by employing a series detection path of upper spiral trough, flipping, and lower spiral trough, and in conjunction with two sets of fixedly installed detection cameras, the tablet rotates and slides down in the upper spiral trough, and its top and the upper half of the side that is gradually exposed during rotation are captured by the first camera; after being held by double belts and stably and continuously flipped 180 degrees at the flipping wheel, its original bottom surface faces upwards and enters the lower spiral trough, rotates and slides down again, and the bottom and lower half of the side are captured by the second camera. Only two sets of fixed cameras are used to complete the image acquisition of all exposed surfaces of the tablet, ensuring the comprehensiveness and reliability of appearance defect detection, and effectively solving the problem that existing single-camera top shooting or planar conveying detection can only shoot one side or a partial side of the tablet, resulting in the easy omission of defects such as stains, indentations, and defects on the bottom surface.

[0016] 2. In this invention, a clamping and turning mechanism is formed by the first conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt, and the turning wheel. When the tablet is in this position, it is wrapped from the top and bottom by the two synchronously moving belts. Relying on friction, it completes a semi-circular motion around the turning wheel, thereby achieving a stable and continuous 180-degree turn. There is no impact gripping or falling throughout the process, avoiding the collision damage that may be caused by the turning of the robotic arm. At the same time, its turning action is a natural part of the conveying process, which is highly efficient. Moreover, the structure is much simpler and more reliable than the multi-camera system with a surrounding arrangement, and the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty are greatly reduced.

[0017] 3. In this invention, the rotational power of the flipping wheel is synchronously transmitted to two drums, causing the strip cleaning cloth to continuously move horizontally and tightly wipe the working surface of the second conveyor belt with the clean section. The contaminated cloth section is rolled up in real time, and the dust falls into the receiving trough. This achieves complete synchronization between the cleaning action and the equipment operation and the generation of contamination, ensuring that the contact surface is always clean. It physically cuts off the path of cross-contamination, ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of the test results. It solves the problem that in continuous production, the surface of the second conveyor belt used to flip tablets may be covered with trace amounts of powder that have fallen off previous tablets, which contaminate the test surface of subsequent tablets when flipping and causing false defects that lead to the wrong rejection of qualified products.

[0018] 4. In this invention, by integrating a mechanical screening structure consisting of large and small size baffles, obvious defective products with excessive thickness (too thick) or insufficient thickness (too thin) are directly intercepted and diverted. This decouples coarse screening in the thickness dimension from fine visual inspection of appearance defects, making it easier to remove obviously defective products with a high proportion in advance, reducing the processing load of the subsequent vision system and improving the overall inspection cycle. At the same time, it avoids blockages and jamming that may be caused by these irregularly shaped tablets entering the spiral feeder or turning mechanism, protecting the stable operation of the inspection components and improving the reliability and production efficiency of the whole machine. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material conveying channel and the detection channel of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram of section A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sieving structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the detection channel and conveying mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the detection channel of the present invention; Figure 7This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the detection channel of the present invention; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram of section B in the middle; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the upper spiral feed trough of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second channel of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-shaped seat of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Vibratory feeder; 2. Material conveying channel; 201. Large-size stop; 2011. First discharge port; 202. Small-size stop; 2021. Second discharge port; 203. Guide slope; 3. Detection channel; 301. First channel; 3011. First auxiliary roller; 302. Upper spiral trough; 303. Second channel; 3031. Second auxiliary roller; 304. Arc-shaped seat; 3041. Rotating shaft; 305. Third channel; 306. Lower spiral trough; 4. Detection equipment; 401. Safety device. 402. Mounting bracket; 5. Detection camera; 6. Unloading channel; 7. Third discharge port; 8. Air jet device; 9. Control panel; 10. Tilting wheel; 11. First support plate; 12. First conveyor roller; 13. First conveyor belt; 14. Second support plate; 15. Second conveyor roller; 16. Second conveyor belt; 17. Conveyor motor; 18. First synchronous pulley; 19. Third support plate; 20. Receiving trough; 21. Fourth support plate; 22. Roller; 23. Cleaning cloth; 24. Second synchronous pulley. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0023] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, this embodiment proposes a vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device, including a vibrating plate device 1 for receiving randomly piled tablets and arranging and orienting them in an orderly manner through vibration; it also includes: a feeding channel 2, a detection channel 3, a conveying mechanism, and a discharge channel 5; the inlet end of the feeding channel 2 is connected to the outlet end of the vibrating plate device 1, and a screening structure is provided on the feeding channel 2; the detection channel 3 is interconnected with the feeding channel 2, and a detection device 4 is provided on the detection channel 3 for collecting image information of the tablets; the conveying mechanism is provided on the detection channel 3 for conveying the veterinary drugs tablets in the detection channel 3; the inlet end of the discharge channel 5 is inclined to the outlet end of the detection channel 3; wherein, the discharge channel 5 is also provided with a discharge structure for discharging waste products, separating and discharging specific tablets, such as those judged to be unqualified waste products, from the main flow; Specifically, the veterinary drug tablets to be tested are fed into the vibratory feeder device 1. The device is started, and the vibratory feeder arranges the tablets into an orderly queue, feeding them one by one into the conveying channel 2. The tablets move forward within the conveying channel 2, passing through a screening structure. This structure screens the tablets according to preset physical standards, such as size specifications. Tablets that meet the initial size requirements continue to the testing channel 3, while obviously unqualified tablets, such as those that are too large or too small, are intercepted by the screening structure and discharged prematurely from a specific outlet. The tablets entering the testing channel 3 move along the channel under the drive of the conveying mechanism. When the tablets pass through the imaging station of the inspection equipment 4, the inspection equipment 4 captures images of the tablets and transmits the image information to the control system for analysis and processing to determine whether there are any appearance defects. The tablets that have completed the inspection slide into the feeding channel 5. The control system makes a judgment based on the image analysis results: if the tablets are judged to be qualified, they are allowed to pass directly through the feeding channel 5 and fall into the good product collection container; if they are judged to be unqualified, when the tablets move to the position corresponding to the discharge structure, the structure is activated to blow the waste products out from the outlet on the side of the feeding channel 5, so as to realize the automatic separation of qualified products and waste products. This device forms a complete automated production line from material feeding and sorting, preliminary screening, online detection to automatic sorting, replacing the traditional mode of relying on manual visual inspection or scattered single-machine operation. It significantly improves detection efficiency, reduces labor costs and labor intensity, and avoids inconsistent detection standards caused by human factors. Before precision visual inspection, a screening structure based on physical characteristics is set up, which can remove obviously unqualified products in advance, such as those with poor dimensions. This avoids complex image processing for all materials, reduces the computational load on the vision system, improves the processing speed and efficiency of the overall detection system, and prevents materials with extreme sizes from interfering with or damaging subsequent precision conveying and inspection stations.

[0024] like Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, the screening structure further includes a large-size block 201 and a small-size block 202 fixed on the conveying channel 2. The conveying channel 2 has a first discharge port 2011 at the large-size block 201 and a second discharge port 2021 at the small-size block 202. Both the large-size block 201 and the small-size block 202 have a guide slope 203 facing the feeding direction. The large-size stop 201 is set in front of the small-size stop 202, and the distance between the bottom wall of the large-size stop 201 and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel 2 is greater than the distance between the small-size stop 202 and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel 2. Specifically, the tablet queue, sorted and fed into the conveying channel 2 by the vibrating plate, moves forward under the external power of vibration. It first reaches the large-size stop 201, where the tablets attempt to pass through the gap at the bottom of the stop. If the tablet thickness is less than or equal to the height of this gap, it can pass smoothly under the large-size stop 201 and continue forward. If the tablet thickness is greater than the height of this gap, it will be intercepted at the bottom of the large-size stop 201 and cannot pass. The intercepted tablets, under the inertia of the subsequent material, follow the guide of the large-size stop 201. The inclined plane 203 slides and is guided to the side, eventually exiting the conveying channel 2 from the first discharge port 2011, where it is collected as overly thick waste. The tablets that have passed through the first stage of interception continue forward, reaching the small-sized stop 202, and attempt to pass through the smaller gap at its bottom. If the tablet thickness is greater than this smaller gap, but has already passed the previous screening (i.e., the thickness is moderate), it will be intercepted by the small-sized stop 202. Similarly, the intercepted tablets are guided to the side along its guiding inclined plane 203 and discharged from the second discharge port 2021. The tablets discharged here are the ones that entered the channel. The subsequent inspection channel 3 accepts tablets with acceptable thickness. If the tablet thickness is less than or equal to this smaller gap, it can pass directly under the small-sized stop 202, continue along the main path of the conveying channel 2, and finally be discharged and collected as overly thin waste from its end. The entire screening structure consists of only two fixed stops and two outlets, without any moving parts, drive motors, or control systems. Its sorting action is entirely completed by the tablet's own forward momentum, resulting in zero energy consumption and low failure points, manufacturing, and maintenance costs. It avoids interference or damage to the subsequent precision conveying and flipping mechanism by tablets of extreme sizes. It improves the consistency of tablet posture in the visual inspection area, which is beneficial to improving imaging and inspection accuracy. It reduces the invalid defect data that the image processing system needs to process, improving the overall inspection efficiency. Both the large-sized stop 201 and the small-sized stop 202 adopt a height-adjustable installation structure, which can precisely adjust the gap between the bottom of the stop and the inner wall of the conveying channel 2 according to the standard thickness of the tablet to be inspected, adapting to the size screening requirements of different specifications of veterinary drug tablets and covering the inspection scenarios of all types of tablets.

[0025] like Figures 2-11As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, the detection channel 3 further includes a first channel 301 connected to the second discharge port 2021, an upper spiral trough 302 fixedly connected to the discharge end of the first channel 301, a second channel 303 fixedly connected to the discharge end of the upper spiral trough 302, an arc-shaped seat 304 fixedly connected to the discharge end of the second channel 303, a third channel 305 fixedly connected to the other end of the arc-shaped seat 304, and a lower spiral trough 306 fixedly connected to the discharge end of the third channel 305. The feeding end of the feeding channel 5 is fixedly connected to the discharge end of the lower spiral trough 306. Damping buffer strips are equidistantly distributed in the channels of the upper spiral trough 302 and the lower spiral trough 306 as needed to reduce the downward speed of the tablets and ensure that the tablets pass through the detection area one by one, at a uniform speed and with a stable posture, avoiding stacking and missed detection problems. Furthermore, the detection device 4 is equipped with two sets of devices, respectively installed on the upper spiral feeder 302 and the lower spiral feeder 306. The detection device 4 includes a mounting bracket 401 and a detection camera 402 installed on the mounting bracket 401. A control panel 6 is installed on the outside of the vibratory feeder device 1, and the control panel 6 is electrically connected to the detection camera 402. The mounting bracket 401 adopts a multi-degree-of-freedom adjustable structure, which can precisely adjust the installation height, shooting angle and focusing distance of the detection camera 402 to adapt to the optimal imaging requirements of tablets of different specifications and ensure detection accuracy. The detection camera 402 can be equipped with a ring polarized light source to effectively eliminate the problem of overexposure and reflection on the surface of the tablet coating. Furthermore, the conveying mechanism includes a first conveying component disposed on the first channel 301, a second conveying component disposed on the second channel 303, and a turning wheel 7 rotatably disposed on the arc-shaped seat 304 via a rotating shaft 3041. Furthermore, the first conveying assembly includes a first support plate 8 fixed on the first channel 301, a first conveying roller 801 rotatably mounted on the first support plate 8, a first auxiliary roller 3011 rotatably mounted at the feed end of the first channel 301, and a first conveying belt 802 slidably mounted between the first conveying roller 801, the turning wheel 7, and the first auxiliary roller 3011. The first conveying belt 802 slides within the first channel 301 and the third channel 305. A conveying motor 10 for driving the first conveying roller 801 to rotate is mounted on the first support plate 8. The outer surface of the turning wheel 7 is covered with a wear-resistant polyurethane layer, which can reduce friction and wear with the conveying belt and prevent scratching the belt. Furthermore, the second conveying assembly includes a second support plate 9 fixed on the second channel 303, a second conveying roller 901 rotatably disposed on the second support plate 9, a second auxiliary roller 3031 rotatably disposed at the feed end of the second channel 303, and a second conveying belt 902 slidably disposed between the second conveying roller 901, the turning wheel 7, and the second auxiliary roller 3031. The second conveying belt 902 slides within the second channel 303. Both the first conveyor roller 801 and the second conveyor roller 901 are provided with a first synchronous pulley 11, and a first synchronous belt is provided between the two first synchronous pulleys 11; Specifically, the conveyor motor 10 drives the first conveyor roller 801 to rotate, which in turn drives the first conveyor belt 802 to run. Simultaneously, through the transmission of the first synchronous pulley 11 and the first synchronous belt, the second conveyor roller 901 is driven to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the second conveyor belt 902 to run at the same linear speed as the first conveyor belt 802. Tablets that have passed the thickness screening enter the first channel 301 from the second discharge port 2021 and are horizontally conveyed to the upper spiral trough 302 by the first conveyor belt 802. Under the action of gravity, the tablets rotate and slide down the upper spiral trough 302. As the tablets rotate and slide down in the upper spiral trough 302, the detection camera 402 fixed above it continuously captures images of the top surface of the tablets and the upper half of the side that gradually emerges during rotation, completing the first detection. Subsequently, the tablets slide into the second channel 303, are received by the second conveyor belt 902, and are conveyed to the arc-shaped seat 304 area. Here, the tablets are jointly conveyed by the first conveyor belt 802 and the second conveyor belt 902. The function is as follows: when the tablet reaches the flipping wheel 7 at the arc-shaped seat 304, it is sandwiched between two synchronously running belts and rotates 180 degrees around the flipping wheel 7, exposing its bottom surface for subsequent inspection. After rotating around the flipping wheel 7, it enters the third channel 305 and is then conveyed to the lower spiral trough 306 by the first conveyor belt 802. The tablet rotates and slides down again in the lower spiral trough 306. While the tablet is rotating and sliding down in the lower spiral trough 306, another detection camera 402 fixed above it continuously captures images of the flipped-up bottom surface and the lower half of the side of the tablet. The image data is transmitted to the control panel 6 in real time for processing and analysis, completing the second inspection. Finally, the tablet slides into the feeding channel 5. It should be noted that belt tensioning is a well-known technology and will not be elaborated on here. Automatic belt tensioning can compensate for the stretching of the belt after long-term operation in real time, ensuring that the two belts are always in a suitable tension state, ensuring synchronous operation without slippage, and stable and reliable tablet flipping. By designing a series of detection paths—one upper spiral for detecting the top and upper sides, one mechanical flip, and one lower spiral for detecting the bottom and lower sides—only two sets of fixed cameras are used. Utilizing the material's rotational characteristics within the spiral track, panoramic imaging of the tablet's top, bottom, and entire side is achieved. This fundamentally solves the problem of traditional single-station top-mounting methods being unable to detect the tablet's bottom surface, ensuring comprehensive detection of appearance defects. Furthermore, the first conveyor belt 802, the second conveyor belt 902, and the flipping wheel 7 form a clamping and flipping mechanism. When the tablet reaches this point, it is gripped from both the top and bottom by two synchronously moving belts. Relying on friction, it completes a semi-circular motion around the flipping wheel 7, achieving a stable and continuous 180-degree flip without any impact gripping or dropping. This avoids potential collision damage caused by the robotic arm's flipping mechanism. Simultaneously, the flipping action is a natural component of the conveying process, resulting in high efficiency. Moreover, its structure is far simpler and more reliable than a multi-camera system with a surrounding arrangement, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty.

[0026] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, a third support plate 12 and a fourth support plate 14 are further provided at the bottom of the second channel 303. A roll 15 for winding the cleaning cloth 151 is sleeved on both the third support plate 12 and the fourth support plate 14. The cleaning cloth 151 moves against the outer wall of the second conveyor belt 902. A second synchronous pulley 16 is provided on both the two rolls 15 and the rotating shaft 3041. A second synchronous belt is provided between several second synchronous pulleys 16. According to actual usage requirements, a tensioning wheel can be set to tension the cleaning cloth 151 to prevent it from loosening. The setting and installation of the tensioning wheel is a known technology and will not be described in detail here. A receiving groove 13 is provided between the third support plate 12 and the fourth support plate 14 to receive dust and debris falling from the cleaning cloth 151 or the belt. Specifically, when the device is running, the power driving the conveyor mechanism ultimately causes the tilting wheel 7 and its shaft 3041 to rotate continuously. The rotational motion of the shaft 3041 is transmitted synchronously to the second synchronous pulleys 16 on the shafts of the two drums 15 through the second synchronous pulleys 16 and the second synchronous belt mounted on it, thereby driving the two drums 15 to rotate synchronously according to a preset transmission ratio. One drum 15 serves as the unwinding end and the other as the winding end. During the synchronous rotation, the cleaning cloth 151 is slowly and continuously moved from one drum 15 to the other. During this process, the cleaning cloth 151 always maintains close contact with and wipes the outer surface of the second conveyor belt 902 running above it with its clean section. During the wiping process, the cleaning cloth 151 adheres to or scrapes off contaminants such as dust and powder adhering to the surface of the second conveyor belt 902. The contaminated section of the cleaning cloth 151 is wound to the take-up end. Some of the removed contaminants are directly or shaken off through the cleaning cloth 151 into the receiving trough 13 below under the action of gravity and vibration, achieving centralized collection. This application solves the problem that in the continuous production process, the surface of the belt used to turn tablets is prone to residual and accumulated dust from previous tablets, which then contaminates the surface of subsequent tablets to be inspected. It avoids false stains on the belt, thereby greatly improving the authenticity and reliability of visual inspection results. The cleaning action is synchronized with the equipment operation, requiring no additional power or control, and has a high degree of automation. The cleaning function is achieved through the pure mechanical transmission of the second synchronous pulley 16 and the second synchronous belt, which is rigidly linked with the main conveying system. There are no independent motors, sensors or complex electrical controls, resulting in a low failure rate and reliable operation. Moreover, the cleaning cloth 151 is a consumable and easy to replace; only the roll 15 needs to be replaced.

[0027] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, in a preferred embodiment, based on the above method, the discharge structure further includes a third discharge port 501 opened on the feeding channel 5. An airflow jetting device 502 is provided on the opposite side of the third discharge port 501 in the feeding channel 5. A photoelectric sensor is provided on the feeding channel 5 for accurately locating the real-time position of the tablets. The photoelectric sensor is electrically connected to the control panel 6 and the airflow jetting device 502, and can accurately control the start-up timing and jetting duration of the airflow jetting device 502 according to the downward speed of the tablets, ensuring that unqualified tablets are accurately blown out, avoiding misjudgment of qualified products and leakage of defective products. Specifically, tablets that have completed all inspection processes slide downwards along the inclined feeding channel 5 under the action of gravity. When a tablet slides past a specific inspection position, its qualification / unqualification has been determined by the visual inspection control system, and the determination result and the tablet's position information are synchronously transmitted to the control system. If the control system determines that the currently passing tablet is qualified... If the tablet is a qualified product, no instruction is issued, the air jet device 502 does not operate, and the tablet continues to slide undisturbed, eventually falling into the qualified product collection container from the end of the feeding channel 5. If the tablet is determined to be unqualified, the control system will, when the tablet moves precisely to the front of the third discharge port 501, spray a short, high-speed airflow from the nozzle of the air jet device 502, impacting the unqualified tablet located opposite at a certain angle, causing it to fly out of the feeding channel 5 from the third discharge port 501 and fall into the specially designed waste collection container. The airflow will then be shut off, without affecting the normal sliding of subsequent tablets. In this device, the conveyor motor 10, detection camera 402, air jet device 502, synchronous pulley, synchronous belt, bearings, drum 15, etc., all adopt industrial standard parts. Non-standard structural parts (feeding channel 2, spiral trough, detection channel 3) are all made of food-grade stainless steel with mirror polishing treatment and no sanitary dead corners. The entire equipment is reliably grounded.

[0028] This invention also discloses a vision-based method for detecting appearance defects in veterinary drugs, which involves using the aforementioned vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device and includes the following steps: S1: Place the veterinary drug tablets to be tested into the hopper of the vibratory feeder 1, start the vibratory feeder 1, the vibratory feeder 1 will arrange the disordered tablets in an orderly manner and send them into the conveying channel 2, at the same time, start the control panel 6 and the detection camera 402. S2: The tablets move forward in the conveying channel 2, first passing through the large-sized baffle 201, where tablets that exceed the thickness limit are intercepted and discharged from the first discharge port 2011 along its guiding slope 203, falling into the waste bag. The tablets continue to move forward through the large-size block 201 and reach the small-size block 202. Qualified tablets with the standard thickness are intercepted and enter the first channel 301 of the detection channel 3 from the second discharge port 2021 along its guide slope 203. Thin defective products pass under the small-size block 202 and are finally discharged and collected from the end of the conveying channel 2. S3: Start the conveyor motor 10, drive the first conveyor roller 801 to rotate, drive the first conveyor belt 802 to run, and convey the tablets that have entered the first channel 301 to the upper spiral trough 302. Under the action of gravity, the tablets rotate and slide down the upper spiral trough 302. During this process, the detection camera 402, which is fixedly installed at the upper spiral trough 302, continuously takes pictures of the top and upper side of the tablets. S4: After being detected by the upper spiral feed trough 302, the tablets slide into the second channel 303. The second conveyor belt 902 runs synchronously under the linkage of the first synchronous belt and the first synchronous pulley 11, receiving and conveying the tablets. When the tablet is conveyed to the flipping wheel 7 at the arc seat 304, the first conveyor belt 802 located above and the second conveyor belt 902 located below clamp the tablet together and wrap it around the flipping wheel 7 to complete a 180-degree flip, sending the tablet into the third channel 305. S5: The tablets entering the third channel 305 are continued to be conveyed to the lower spiral trough 306 by the first conveyor belt 802. The tablets rotate and slide down the lower spiral trough 306. Since the tablets have been flipped, the original downward surface becomes upward. Another set of detection cameras 402 set at the lower spiral trough 306 continuously takes pictures of the original bottom surface and the lower half of the side of the tablets. S6: Tablets that have completed double-sided inspection slide from the lower spiral feed trough 306 into the inclined feeding channel 5. The control panel 6 makes a judgment based on the detection results of the two cameras. When a tablet that is determined to be unqualified slides to the third discharge port 501, the air jet device 502 is activated to blow it out of the third discharge port 501 and into the waste bag. Qualified tablets pass through smoothly and fall into the good product collection container from the end of the feeding channel 5. S7: During the entire conveying and turning process, the rotating shaft 3041 of the turning wheel 7 drives the two drums 15 to rotate slowly through the second synchronous wheel 16 and the second synchronous belt, so that the cleaning cloth 151 continuously moves horizontally and continuously wipes the surface of the second conveyor belt 902 with a clean surface. The contaminated cleaning cloth 151 is rolled up to one side of the drum 15, and the dust that falls during this process falls into the receiving trough 13 below.

[0029] The accompanying drawings in this application are for illustrative purposes only. The dimensions and shapes of the components shown are not actual limitations but are merely schematic representations. In actual implementation, the components can be reasonably configured and adjusted according to specific needs and actual conditions.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device, comprising a vibrating plate device (1), characterized in that, Also includes: The material conveying channel (2) is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating plate device (1) at its inlet end. The material conveying channel (2) is equipped with a screening structure. The detection channel (3) is connected to the material conveying channel (2), and the detection channel (3) is equipped with a detection device (4). A conveying mechanism is provided on the detection channel (3) for conveying the tablet veterinary drugs in the detection channel (3); And a feeding channel (5), wherein the feeding end of the feeding channel (5) is inclinedly disposed at the discharge end of the detection channel (3); The material feeding channel (5) is also equipped with a discharge structure for discharging waste products.

2. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screening structure includes a large-size baffle (201) and a small-size baffle (202) fixed on the conveying channel (2). The conveying channel (2) has a first discharge port (2011) at the large-size baffle (201) and a second discharge port (2021) at the small-size baffle (202). Both the large-size baffle (201) and the small-size baffle (202) have a guide slope (203) facing the feeding direction. The large-size stop (201) is located in front of the small-size stop (202), and the distance between the bottom wall of the large-size stop (201) and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel (2) is greater than the distance between the small-size stop (202) and the bottom inner wall of the conveying channel (2).

3. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The detection channel (3) includes a first channel (301) connected to the second discharge port (2021), an upper spiral trough (302) fixedly connected to the discharge end of the first channel (301), a second channel (303) fixedly connected to the discharge end of the upper spiral trough (302), an arc-shaped seat (304) fixedly connected to the discharge end of the second channel (303), a third channel (305) fixedly connected to the other end of the arc-shaped seat (304), and a lower spiral trough (306) fixedly connected to the discharge end of the third channel (305). The feeding end of the feeding channel (5) is fixedly connected to the discharge end of the lower spiral trough (306).

4. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The detection device (4) is provided with two sets and is respectively set on the upper spiral trough (302) and the lower spiral trough (306). The detection device (4) includes a mounting bracket (401) and a detection camera (402) set on the mounting bracket (401). The vibratory feeder device (1) is provided with a control panel (6) on the outside. The control panel (6) is electrically connected to the detection camera (402).

5. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes a first conveying component disposed on a first channel (301), a second conveying component disposed on a second channel (303), and a turning wheel (7) disposed on an arc-shaped seat (304) via a rotating shaft (3041).

6. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first conveying assembly includes a first support plate (8) fixed on the first channel (301), a first conveying roller (801) rotatably disposed on the first support plate (8), a first auxiliary roller (3011) rotatably disposed at the feed end of the first channel (301), and a first conveying belt (802) slidably disposed between the first conveying roller (801), the turning wheel (7) and the first auxiliary roller (3011). The first conveying belt (802) slides within the first channel (301) and the third channel (305). A conveying motor (10) for driving the first conveying roller (801) to rotate is disposed on the first support plate (8).

7. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second conveying assembly includes a second support plate (9) fixed on the second channel (303), a second conveying roller (901) rotatably disposed on the second support plate (9), a second auxiliary roller (3031) rotatably disposed at the feed end of the second channel (303), and a second conveying belt (902) slidably disposed between the second conveying roller (901), the turning wheel (7), and the second auxiliary roller (3031). The second conveying belt (902) slides within the second channel (303). Both the first conveying roller (801) and the second conveying roller (901) are provided with a first synchronous pulley (11), and a first synchronous belt is provided between the two first synchronous pulleys (11).

8. The vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the second channel (303) is also provided with a third support plate (12) and a fourth support plate (14). Both the third support plate (12) and the fourth support plate (14) are fitted with rollers (15) for winding cleaning cloth (151). The cleaning cloth (151) moves against the outer wall of the second conveyor belt (902). Both rollers (15) and the rotating shaft (3041) are provided with second synchronous pulleys (16). A second synchronous belt is provided between several second synchronous pulleys (16). A receiving groove (13) is provided between the third support plate (12) and the fourth support plate (14).

9. A vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discharge structure includes a third discharge port (501) opened on the discharge channel (5), and an air jet device (502) is provided on the opposite side of the third discharge port (501) of the discharge channel (5).

10. A vision-based method for detecting appearance defects in veterinary drugs, comprising using a vision-based veterinary drug appearance defect detection device as described in claim 9, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: S1: Place the veterinary drug tablets to be tested into the hopper of the vibratory feeder (1), start the vibratory feeder (1), the vibratory feeder (1) arranges the disordered tablets in an orderly manner and sends them into the conveying channel (2), and at the same time, start the control panel (6) and the detection camera (402). S2: The tablets move forward in the conveying channel (2), first passing through the large-sized baffle (201), where tablets with excessive thickness are intercepted and discharged from the first outlet (2011) along its guide slope (203) and fall into the waste bag; The tablets that pass through the large-size stop (201) continue to move forward and reach the small-size stop (202). The qualified tablets with the thickness standard are intercepted and enter the first channel (301) of the detection channel (3) from the second discharge port (2021) along its guide slope (203). The thinner defective products pass under the small-size stop (202) and are finally discharged and collected from the end of the conveying channel (2). S3: Start the conveyor motor (10) to drive the first conveyor roller (801) to rotate, drive the first conveyor belt (802) to run, and convey the tablets that have entered the first channel (301) to the upper spiral trough (302). Under the action of gravity, the tablets rotate and slide down the upper spiral trough (302). During this process, the detection camera (402) fixedly installed at the upper spiral trough (302) continuously takes pictures of the top and upper side of the tablets. S4: After being detected by the upper spiral feed trough (302), the tablets slide into the second channel (303). The second conveyor belt (902) runs synchronously under the linkage of the first synchronous belt and the first synchronous pulley (11) to receive and transport the tablets. When the tablet is conveyed to the flipping wheel (7) at the arc seat (304), the first conveyor belt (802) above and the second conveyor belt (902) below clamp the tablet together and wrap it around the flipping wheel (7) to complete a 180-degree flip, and send the tablet into the third channel (305). S5: The tablets entering the third channel (305) are continued to be conveyed to the lower spiral trough (306) by the first conveyor belt (802). The tablets rotate and slide down along the lower spiral trough (306). Since the tablets have been flipped, the original downward surface becomes upward. Another set of detection cameras (402) set at the lower spiral trough (306) continuously takes pictures of the original bottom surface and the lower half of the side of the tablets. S6: The tablets that have completed the double-sided inspection slide from the lower spiral feed trough (306) into the inclined feeding channel (5). The control panel (6) makes a judgment based on the detection results of the two cameras. When the tablets that are judged to be unqualified slide to the third discharge port (501), the air jet device (502) is activated to blow them out of the third discharge port (501) and into the waste bag. The qualified tablets pass through smoothly and fall into the good product collection container from the end of the feeding channel (5). S7: During the entire conveying and flipping process, the shaft (3041) of the flipping wheel (7) drives the two drums (15) to rotate slowly through the second synchronous wheel (16) and the second synchronous belt, so that the cleaning cloth (151) moves continuously and wipes the surface of the second conveyor belt (902) with a clean surface. The contaminated cleaning cloth (151) is rolled up to one side of the drum (15), and the dust that falls during this period falls into the receiving trough (13) below.

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