Workpiece inspection apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of automation detection, in particular to a workpiece detection device. A feeding mechanism is arranged on a rack and is used for conveying at least one group of workpieces along a first direction, each group of workpieces comprising at least two workpieces arranged side by side along a second direction; a base of a rotating mechanism is rotatably connected to the rack around an axis of the base, rotating tables are rotatably connected to the base around respective axes, and the axes are all directed to a third direction; the base and the rotating tables are used for rotating to make the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction and make the opposite sides of adjacent workpieces different in the first direction; a first mechanical arm of a carrying device is movably arranged on a walking mechanism along the second direction, and the first mechanical arm is used for moving the at least one group of workpieces on the feeding mechanism to corresponding rotating tables; and a detection device is used for detecting the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction and along the second direction. The rotating mechanism can switch the arrangement postures of the workpieces, the detection device can detect multiple surfaces of the workpieces, and the detection blind area is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automated inspection technology, and in particular to a workpiece inspection device. Background Technology

[0002] After the workpiece is processed, its appearance and dimensional quality must be inspected. Workpieces are often placed in a single, fixed position at the inspection station. Due to this fixed position, the inspection equipment's field of view can only capture the exposed surface of the workpiece facing outwards. Other surfaces are obstructed and cannot enter the inspection field of view, thus creating blind spots and posing a risk of missed inspections. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a workpiece inspection device to address the problem that inspection equipment can only cover part of the workpiece surface, thus creating blind spots in the inspection.

[0004] A workpiece inspection device, comprising:

[0005] frame;

[0006] A conveying device includes a feeding mechanism and a rotating mechanism. The feeding mechanism is mounted on the frame and is used to convey at least one group of workpieces along a first direction. Each group of workpieces includes at least two workpieces arranged side-by-side along a second direction. The rotating mechanism is located downstream of the feeding mechanism and includes a base and two rotating platforms. The base is rotatably connected to the frame about its own axis, and the rotating platforms are rotatably connected to the base about their respective axes. The axes of the base and the rotating platforms both point to a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other and are not coplanar. Both the base and the rotating platforms are used to rotate so that the workpieces are arranged side-by-side along the first direction, and so that the opposite sides of adjacent workpieces are different in the first direction.

[0007] A conveying device includes a walking mechanism and a first manipulator. The walking mechanism is disposed on the frame, and the first manipulator is movably disposed on the walking mechanism along a second direction. The first manipulator is used to move at least one group of workpieces on the loading mechanism to the corresponding rotary table.

[0008] A detection device is mounted on the frame and is used to detect the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction and the second direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the detection device includes a first detection mechanism, which is disposed on the frame and located downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the rotating mechanism. The first detection mechanism has two first detection positions spaced apart along the first direction and a second detection position at the bottom along the third direction. The first detection positions are used to detect the side surface of the workpiece along the first direction, and the second detection position is used to detect the bottom surface of the workpiece along the third direction. The first robot arm is used to move the workpiece along the second direction to the first detection mechanism.

[0010] In one embodiment, the detection device further includes a second detection mechanism disposed on the frame, the conveying device further includes a moving mechanism disposed on the frame, the moving mechanism being located downstream of the rotating mechanism, and the conveying device further includes a second manipulator movably disposed on the walking mechanism along the second direction. The second manipulator is used to grasp the workpieces arranged side by side on the rotating table along the first direction and move them to the moving mechanism. The moving mechanism is used to drive the workpieces to move along the first direction toward the second detection mechanism. The second detection mechanism is provided with two third detection positions spaced apart along the second direction and a fourth detection position provided at the top along the third direction. The third detection positions are used to detect the side surface of the workpiece along the second direction, and the fourth detection position is used to detect the top surface of the workpiece along the third direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the moving mechanism includes a drive assembly and two lifting assemblies. The drive assembly is mounted on the frame and includes two drive ends arranged opposite each other along the second direction. The drive ends respectively drive the lifting assemblies to move alternately back and forth along the first direction. The lifting ends of the lifting assemblies are used to receive the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction. The two lifting ends are respectively lifted and retracted to be staggered from each other along the third direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, the conveying device further includes a conveying mechanism disposed on the frame, the conveying mechanism being downstream of the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism conveying the workpiece along the second direction, the detection device further includes a third detection mechanism disposed on the traveling mechanism, the third detection mechanism being located at the top of the conveying mechanism along the third direction, the handling device further includes a third manipulator movably disposed on the traveling mechanism along the second direction, the third manipulator having two gripping parts that rotate around their respective axes, the axes pointing in the third direction, the gripping parts being used to grip and rotate the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction on the moving mechanism, and after rotation, the adjacent workpieces on the opposite side in the first direction are the same as the adjacent workpieces on the opposite side in the first direction after rotation of the base, the third projection is the same as the first projection, the third manipulator also moves the rotated workpiece to the conveying mechanism, the conveying mechanism being used to convey the workpiece to the third detection mechanism.

[0013] In one embodiment, the third detection mechanism is movably disposed on the traveling mechanism along the second direction. The third detection mechanism is used to move when the conveying mechanism is stationary in order to sequentially detect different areas on the top surface of the workpiece along the third direction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the conveying device further includes a pitch-changing mechanism disposed on the frame, the pitch-changing mechanism being located downstream of the conveying mechanism, the pitch-changing mechanism being used to receive workpieces on the conveying mechanism and adjust the spacing of the workpieces along the first direction to be the same as the spacing of the workpieces along the second direction on the feeding mechanism.

[0015] In one embodiment, the conveying device further includes a feeding mechanism disposed on the frame, the feeding mechanism being located downstream of the pitch-changing mechanism, the feeding mechanism conveying the workpiece along the first direction, and the conveying mechanism further includes a fourth manipulator movable along the second direction and rotatably disposed on the traveling mechanism around the third direction, the fourth manipulator being used to rotate the pitch-changing workpiece to be arranged side by side along the second direction and move it to the feeding mechanism.

[0016] In one embodiment, the feeding mechanism is used to transport two sets of the workpieces, and the first robot arm is used to place the two sets of the workpieces on the corresponding rotating tables.

[0017] In one embodiment, the workpiece inspection equipment further includes a cleaning device disposed on the frame, the cleaning device being located upstream of the inspection device, the cleaning device being used to remove dust from the workpiece.

[0018] In the aforementioned workpiece inspection equipment, when workpieces are arranged side-by-side on the feeding mechanism along the second direction, their surfaces along the second direction are mutually obscured, but their surfaces along the first direction are exposed. The inspection device can then inspect the surfaces of the workpieces along the first direction. Similarly, when the rotating mechanism's rotary table rotates the workpieces, causing them to be arranged side-by-side along the first direction, their surfaces along the first direction are mutually obscured, but their surfaces along the second direction are exposed. Thus, the inspection device can inspect the surfaces of the workpieces along the second direction. Through the revolution and rotation of the rotating mechanism, the workpieces can have multiple placement postures, changing their orientation and reducing the problem of mutual obstruction. Different surfaces to be inspected are exposed within the inspection field of view in different placement postures, avoiding localized surface obstruction caused by a single placement posture, reducing blind spots, and enabling multi-directional surface inspection of the workpiece, thus improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the disclosed drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view of a workpiece inspection device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a workpiece inspection device provided in an embodiment of this application from one perspective.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a workpiece inspection device provided in an embodiment of this application from another perspective.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the workpiece posture switching method provided in this application.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the workpiece switching posture provided in this application.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a third implementation of the workpiece switching posture provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a fourth implementation of the workpiece switching posture provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the third detection mechanism and the moving mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure 9 A front view of the moving mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100, workpiece inspection equipment; 1, frame; 2, conveying device; 21, loading mechanism; 22, rotating mechanism; 221, base; 222, rotary table; 23, moving mechanism; 231, drive assembly; 232, lifting assembly; 2321, lifting driver; 2322, lifting platform; 24, conveying mechanism; 25, pitch changing mechanism; 26, unloading mechanism; 3, handling device; 31, traveling mechanism; 32, first robot arm; 33, second robot arm; 34, third robot arm; 35, fourth robot arm; 4, inspection device; 41, first inspection mechanism; 42, second inspection mechanism; 43, third inspection mechanism; 5, cleaning device; 51, first cleaning mechanism; 52, second cleaning mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a top view of the workpiece inspection equipment 100 provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the workpiece inspection device 100 provided in the embodiments of this application from one angle. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the workpiece inspection equipment 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The workpiece inspection equipment 100 in this embodiment includes a frame 1, a conveying device 2, a handling device 3, an inspection device 4, and a cleaning device 5. The various devices work together through an electrical control system to form an automated transfer and inspection system for the workpieces.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 3 The frame 1, also known as the equipment frame or support body, provides a stable mounting platform and structural support for the entire workpiece inspection equipment 100. The frame 1 can adopt various structural forms, such as a cuboid frame structure or a workbench structure. The surface of the frame 1 along its height direction serves as the mounting surface, used to fix the conveying device 2, handling device 3, inspection device 4, and cleaning device 5, etc.

[0033] Please see Figure 1The conveying device 2 is used to automate the conveying of workpieces within the workpiece inspection equipment 100. The conveying device 2 includes a loading mechanism 21, a rotating mechanism 22, a moving mechanism 23, a conveying mechanism 24, a pitch-changing mechanism 25, and a unloading mechanism 26. These mechanisms cooperate to complete the entire conveying process of the workpiece from entering to leaving the workpiece inspection equipment 100.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The conveying device 3 is used to transfer workpieces between various mechanisms of the conveying device 2, thereby realizing automated workpiece handling. The conveying device 3 includes a traveling mechanism 31 and a first robotic arm 32, a second robotic arm 33, a third robotic arm 34, and a fourth robotic arm 35 mounted on the traveling mechanism 31. The traveling mechanism 31 is used to drive the aforementioned robotic arms to move.

[0035] The first robotic arm 32, the second robotic arm 33, the third robotic arm 34, and the fourth robotic arm 35 are used to grasp and release workpieces. Each robotic arm can adopt different structural forms according to different workpiece shapes and grasping requirements, such as pneumatic fingers, vacuum suction cups, mechanical grippers, etc.

[0036] Please see Figure 2 The detection device 4 is used to detect multiple surfaces of a workpiece. The detection device 4 includes a first detection mechanism 41, a second detection mechanism 42, and a third detection mechanism 43.

[0037] Please see Figure 2 The cleaning device 5 is used to clean the workpiece before testing to improve the accuracy of the test results.

[0038] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the first direction is the conveying direction of the feeding mechanism 21 and the unloading mechanism 26, which is also the direction of the X-axis. The second direction is the direction of the Y-axis, and the third direction is the direction of the Z-axis.

[0039] Please see Figure 1 and Figures 4 to 7 , Figures 4 to 7The illustrations provide various embodiments of workpiece posture switching provided in this application. In some embodiments, the conveying device 2 includes a feeding mechanism 21 and a rotating mechanism 22. The feeding mechanism 21 is mounted on the frame 1 and is used to convey at least one group of workpieces along a first direction. Each group of workpieces includes at least two workpieces arranged side by side along a second direction. The rotating mechanism 22 is located downstream of the feeding mechanism 21. The rotating mechanism 22 includes a base 221 and two rotating platforms 222. The base 221 is rotatably connected to the frame 1 about its own axis. The rotating platforms 222 are rotatably connected to the base 221 about their respective axes. The axes of the base 221 and the rotating platforms 222 both point to a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the axial direction intersect each other and are not coplanar. The base 221 and the rotating platforms 222 are both used to rotate so that the workpieces are arranged side by side along the first direction, and the opposite sides of adjacent workpieces are different in the first direction. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The conveying device 3 includes a walking mechanism 31 and a first manipulator 32. The walking mechanism 31 is mounted on the frame 1, and the first manipulator 32 is movably mounted on the walking mechanism 31 along the second direction. The first manipulator 32 is used to move at least one group of workpieces on the loading mechanism 21 to the corresponding rotary table 222. The detection device 4 is mounted on the frame 1 and is used to detect workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction and the second direction.

[0040] Please see Figures 4 to 7 It can be understood that the base 221 drives the rotating platform 222 to rotate together, that is, the two rotating platforms 222 revolve around the axis of the base 221. Then, each rotating platform 222 rotates on its own axis. When the base 221 rotates while the rotating platform 222 does not rotate, adjacent workpieces have two opposite sides in the first direction. When the rotating platform 222 rotates, the workpieces also have two opposite sides in the first direction. The workpieces after the base 221 rotates and the workpieces after the rotating platform 222 rotates are both side by side along the first direction, but due to the rotation of the rotating platform 222, the adjacent workpieces are on different opposite sides, thus changing the placement posture of the workpieces.

[0041] For ease of understanding, the workpiece's posture switching will be illustrated using the workpiece's length direction as a reference in some embodiments. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 4 to 6The workpieces are arranged side-by-side along the second direction on the feeding mechanism 21, with their length direction parallel to the first direction. After the workpieces are transferred to the rotating mechanism 22, the base 221 drives the group of workpieces to revolve, causing the group of workpieces to be arranged side-by-side along the first direction, at which point the length direction of the workpieces is perpendicular to the first direction. Then, the rotating table 222 drives each workpiece to rotate, causing the workpieces to be arranged side-by-side along the first direction, at which point the length direction of the workpieces is parallel to the first direction. Thus, by comparing the workpieces on the feeding mechanism 21 and the workpieces after the rotating table 222 has rotated, it can be seen that the workpieces have switched from being arranged side-by-side along the second direction to being arranged side-by-side along the first direction, and the long side direction of the workpieces in both positions is parallel to the first direction. In other words, the rotating mechanism 22 can switch the workpieces whose length direction is parallel to the first direction from being arranged side-by-side along the second direction to being arranged side-by-side along the first direction, thereby adjusting the placement posture of the workpieces.

[0042] The workpiece can be a cube, a trapezoid, or other irregular shape. The workpiece may include sides with short sides, long sides, inclined sides, or curved sides. These sides may be parallel or non-parallel to the first direction; this embodiment does not specifically limit this. The changes in the workpiece's posture before entering the rotating mechanism and after rotation can be compared using any side as a reference.

[0043] In some other embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 The workpieces conveyed by the feeding mechanism 21 can also have their short sides parallel to the first direction, and the workpieces arranged side by side along the second direction. After being rotated by the rotary table 222, the workpieces are arranged side by side along the first direction and their short sides are also parallel to the first direction.

[0044] Please see Figures 4 to 6 When workpieces are arranged side-by-side on the feeding mechanism 21 along the second direction, their surfaces along the second direction are mutually obscured, but their surfaces along the first direction are exposed. The detection device 4 can then detect the surfaces of the workpieces along the first direction. Similarly, when the rotating table 222 of the rotating mechanism 22 rotates the workpieces, they are arranged side-by-side along the first direction, again obscuring their surfaces along the first direction but exposing their surfaces along the second direction. Thus, the detection device 4 can detect the surfaces of the workpieces along the second direction. Through the revolution and rotation of the rotating mechanism 22, the workpieces can have multiple placement postures, changing their orientation and reducing mutual obstruction. Different surfaces to be inspected are exposed in the detection field of view in different placement postures, avoiding localized surface obstruction caused by a single placement posture, reducing blind spots, and enabling multi-directional surface detection of the workpieces, thus improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the detection.

[0045] Please see Figure 5In some embodiments, the feeding device is used to transport two sets of workpieces, and the first robotic arm 32 is used to place the two sets of workpieces onto the rotary table 222 respectively. In this way, the rotating mechanism 22 can switch the posture of the two sets of workpieces simultaneously, improving processing efficiency and enabling more workpieces to be detected by the detection device 4 by switching to different postures.

[0046] The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of first robotic arms 32; the number of first robotic arms 32 can be one, two, three, or other similar numbers. Each first robotic arm 32 can transfer one set of workpieces. Multiple first robotic arms 32 can sequentially transfer multiple sets of workpieces. The number of rotary tables 222 can be two, three, four, or other similar numbers; the embodiments of this application do not limit the number of rotary tables 222.

[0047] Please see Figure 4 When the first robot arm 32 transfers only one set of workpieces, it places two workpieces from the set on a rotary table 222 respectively.

[0048] Please see Figure 5 When the two first robotic arms 32 transfer two sets of workpieces respectively, one set of workpieces is placed on each rotary table 222.

[0049] Please see Figure 6 When the three first robotic arms 32 transfer three sets of workpieces respectively, the number of rotary tables 222 is also three, and a set of workpieces is placed on each rotary table 222.

[0050] The feeding mechanism 21 can be a belt conveyor or a steel belt conveyor, etc. The belt conveyor consists of a belt, a drive roller, a driven roller, and a tensioning device. Workpieces are placed on the belt, and the drive roller drives the belt to move, thus conveying the workpieces. The belt conveyor feeding mechanism 21 can achieve long-distance, continuous feeding and is suitable for workpieces of various shapes and sizes. The feeding mechanism 21 can be equipped with multiple belt conveyor lines, each of which can continuously convey workpieces along a first direction. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The feeding mechanism 21 is equipped with two belt conveyor lines, each of which can transport workpieces along the first direction.

[0051] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cleaning device 5 includes a first cleaning mechanism 51, which is located downstream of the feeding mechanism 21 and upstream of the first detection mechanism 41. The first cleaning mechanism 51 removes dust from the workpiece held on the first robotic arm 32 by blowing and sucking air, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection by the first detection mechanism 41.

[0052] Please see Figure 2The rotating mechanism 22 includes a base 221 and a rotating table 222. A rotary motor or rotary cylinder can be mounted on the frame 1 to drive the base 221 to rotate around its own axis. Two rotary motors or two rotary cylinders can be mounted on the base 221 to drive two rotating tables 222 to rotate around their respective axes, or a single rotary motor can be used with a synchronous belt and two synchronous pulleys to drive two rotating tables 222 to rotate around their respective axes. The surface of the rotating table 222 can be equipped with locating pins, clamps, or vacuum suction cups to fix the workpiece and prevent it from shifting during rotation.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the detection device 4 includes a first detection mechanism 41, which is disposed on the frame 1 and located downstream of the feeding mechanism 21 and upstream of the rotating mechanism 22. The first detection mechanism 41 has two first detection positions spaced apart along a first direction and a second detection position at the bottom along a third direction. A first manipulator 32 is used to move the workpiece along a second direction to the first detection mechanism 41. The workpieces on the first manipulator 32 are arranged side by side along the second direction, exposing the surface of the workpiece along the first direction. When the workpiece passes the first detection mechanism 41, the first detection positions along the first direction can detect two opposite sides of the workpiece in the first direction, and the second detection position along the third direction can detect the bottom surface of the workpiece among the two opposite surfaces in the third direction.

[0054] The first robotic arm 32 can grasp the top surface of a workpiece, or grasp the two opposite sides of a workpiece in a second direction. Since the two workpieces block each other along the second direction, it is impossible to detect the two opposite sides of the two workpieces in the second direction. Therefore, the two opposite sides of the workpieces in the second direction can be used as the gripping surfaces of the first robotic arm.

[0055] Please see Figure 2 The cleaning device 5 includes a second cleaning mechanism 52, which is located downstream of the rotating mechanism 22 and upstream of the second detection mechanism 42. The second cleaning mechanism 52 removes dust from the workpieces on the moving mechanism 23 by blowing and sucking air, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection by the second detection mechanism 42.

[0056] In some embodiments, the detection device 4 further includes a second detection mechanism 42 disposed on the frame 1, and the conveying device 2 further includes a moving mechanism 23 disposed on the frame 1. The moving mechanism 23 is located downstream of the rotating mechanism 22. The handling device 3 further includes a second robotic arm 33 movably disposed on the traveling mechanism 31 along a second direction. The second robotic arm 33 is used to grasp workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction on the rotating table 222 and move them to the moving mechanism 23. The moving mechanism 23 is used to drive the workpieces to move along the first direction toward the second detection mechanism 42. The second detection mechanism 42 is provided with two third detection positions spaced apart along the second direction and a fourth detection position at the top along the third direction. The second robotic arm 33 grasps the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction on the rotating table 222 and places them on the moving mechanism 23. The moving mechanism 23 drives the workpieces to move to the second detection mechanism 42 for detection. Since the two workpieces are arranged side by side along the first direction, they mutually block the surfaces along the first direction, exposing their two opposite sides in the second direction. When passing through the second detection mechanism 42, the two third detection positions located in the second direction can detect the two opposite sides of the workpiece in the second direction, and the fourth detection position located in the third direction can detect the top surface of the workpiece among the two opposite surfaces in the third direction.

[0057] The third and fourth detection positions can be equipped with 3D cameras. 3D camera imaging can be used to present stereoscopic three-dimensional images, and can display the protrusion height, surface flatness, and height difference of the corresponding surface of the workpiece.

[0058] The moving mechanism 23 can grasp the bottom surface of a workpiece on two opposing surfaces in a third direction, or grasp two opposing sides of a workpiece in a first direction. Since the two workpieces block each other along the first direction, it is impossible to detect the two opposing sides of the two workpieces in the first direction. Therefore, the two opposing sides of the workpieces in the first direction can be used as the clamping surfaces of the moving mechanism 23.

[0059] Since the workpieces are arranged side by side along the first direction, the moving mechanism 23 can drive the two workpieces to move sequentially along the first direction to the second detection mechanism 42 for detection.

[0060] Please see Figure 8To improve the conveying efficiency of the moving mechanism 23 and the detection efficiency of the second detection mechanism 42, in some embodiments, the moving mechanism 23 includes a drive assembly 231 and two lifting assemblies 232. The drive assembly 231 is mounted on the frame 1 and includes two drive ends arranged opposite each other along a second direction. Each drive end drives the lifting assembly 232 to move alternately and reciprocally along a first direction. The lifting ends of the lifting assemblies 232 are used to receive workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction. The two lifting ends are respectively raised and retracted to be staggered from each other along a third direction. In other words, by setting the two drive ends opposite each other, each drive end has its own independent reciprocating movement path and does not interfere with each other. Each drive end drives one lifting assembly 232, and one lifting assembly 232 can move a group of workpieces. When one drive end drives a group of workpieces to move toward the second detection mechanism 42, the other drive end can be reset to receive the next group of workpieces. By setting the lifting assemblies 232, the two lifting ends moving in opposite directions can be staggered from each other in a third direction to reduce path interference and prevent collisions. By alternately conveying multiple sets of workpieces from the two drive ends, the workpiece conveying efficiency can be improved, the workpieces can be reduced from being stuck on the rotating mechanism 22, and the transfer efficiency can be increased.

[0061] The drive component 231 can be a linear motion module, such as a linear motor module, a ball screw module, or a synchronous belt linear module.

[0062] Please see Figure 9 Each lifting assembly 232 includes a lifting driver 2321 and a lifting platform 2322. The lifting driver 2321 is connected to the driving end of the driving assembly 231, and the driving end of the lifting driver 2321 is driven to the lifting platform 2322. The lifting platform 2322 is used to grip the workpiece. The lifting platforms 2322 of the two lifting assemblies 232 are arranged side by side along a first direction so that both lifting platforms 2322 can move to the same position along the first direction to be detected by the second detection mechanism 42, which can improve the consistency and accuracy of workpiece detection. Since the second detection mechanism 42 needs to detect the top surface of the workpiece along a third direction, the two lifting platforms 2322 need to move to the same height along the third direction to detect the top surface of the workpiece. During inspection, the two lifting platforms 2322 are at the same height. When one lifting platform 2322 needs to reset and wait to grab the next workpiece, the lifting driver 2321 corresponding to that lifting platform 2322 will drive the lifting platform 2322 to descend in order to avoid the other lifting platform 2322 that is inspecting the workpiece. In this way, the two lifting components 232 can move alternately.

[0063] The lifting driver 2321 can be driven by a cylinder, a motor, or hydraulically to lift the workpiece using the lifting platform 2322.

[0064] The workpiece in this embodiment can be a battery pack. The battery pack has two terminals and an explosion-proof valve on its top surface along its height (i.e., the third direction upwards). The explosion-proof valve is located between the two terminals along the second direction. In actual testing, it is necessary to separately test the areas containing the two terminals and the area containing the explosion-proof valve.

[0065] Please see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the conveying device 2 further includes a conveying mechanism 24 disposed on the frame 1, located downstream of the moving mechanism 23. The conveying mechanism 24 conveys workpieces along a second direction. The detection device 4 further includes a third detection mechanism 43 disposed on the traveling mechanism 31, located at the top of the conveying mechanism 24 along a third direction. The handling device 3 further includes a third robotic arm 34 movably disposed on the traveling mechanism 31 along the second direction. The third robotic arm 34 has two gripping parts that rotate around their respective axes, with the axes pointing in the third direction. The gripping parts are used to grip and rotate workpieces side by side on the moving mechanism 23 in the first direction. After rotation, the sides of adjacent workpieces opposite each other in the first direction are the same as the sides of adjacent workpieces opposite each other in the first direction after the base is rotated. The third robotic arm 34 also moves the rotated workpieces onto the conveying mechanism 24, which is used to convey the workpieces to the third detection mechanism 43. The gripping parts of the third robotic arm 34 grip the workpieces on the moving mechanism 23 and drive the workpieces to rotate around their own axes, preparing the workpieces to switch their unloading posture side by side along the first direction. The conveying mechanism 24 moves the workpiece to the third inspection mechanism 43. The third inspection mechanism 43 inspects the top surface of the workpiece on the two opposing surfaces in the third direction, which means inspecting the two pole areas and the explosion-proof valve area on the top surface of the workpiece.

[0066] The inspection area of ​​the workpiece on the top surface in the third direction is distributed one by one along its long side, so that the long side of the workpiece is parallel to the second direction on the conveying mechanism 24. That is, the long side of the workpiece is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 24, and the inspection area on the top surface of the workpiece is consistent with the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 24, which facilitates the inspection of the workpiece during the conveying process.

[0067] The third inspection unit 43 can be equipped with a planar camera to capture two-dimensional planar images of the top surface of the workpiece.

[0068] To inspect the two pole regions and the explosion-proof valve region, the conveyor mechanism 24 needs to move these three regions sequentially to the third inspection mechanism 43 for inspection. When one pole region is at the bottom of the third inspection mechanism 43, the conveyor mechanism 24 stops operating, allowing that pole region to be inspected. After inspection, the conveyor mechanism 24 then moves the explosion-proof valve region to the bottom of the third inspection mechanism 43 and stops operating, allowing the explosion-proof valve region to be inspected. After inspection, the conveyor mechanism 24 then moves the other pole region to the bottom of the third inspection mechanism 43 and stops operating, allowing the other pole region to be inspected. Thus, the conveyor mechanism 24 needs to frequently start and stop to complete the inspection of multiple regions. During this process, the workpiece is prone to positional shift due to changes in friction during start-up and stop.

[0069] In some embodiments, a third detection mechanism 43 is movably mounted on the traveling mechanism 31 along the second direction. The third detection mechanism 43 is used to move when the conveying mechanism 24 is stationary to sequentially detect different areas on the top surface of the workpiece along the third direction. Thus, during the detection process, since the conveying mechanism 24 remains stationary, the position of the workpiece on the conveying mechanism 24 remains unchanged, and the third detection mechanism 43 moves to sequentially detect different areas on the top surface of the workpiece, avoiding the problem of workpiece swaying caused by frequent starts and stops of the conveying mechanism 24.

[0070] The conveying mechanism 24 can be a conveyor belt conveyor 24 or a steel belt conveyor 24, etc.

[0071] Please see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the conveying device 2 further includes a pitch-changing mechanism 25 disposed on the frame 1. The pitch-changing mechanism 25 is located downstream of the conveying mechanism 24. The pitch-changing mechanism 25 is used to receive the workpieces on the conveying mechanism 24 and adjust the spacing of the workpieces along the first direction to be the same as the spacing of the workpieces along the second direction on the loading mechanism 21. The pitch-changing mechanism 25 can prepare for the unloading of workpieces, so that the posture of the workpieces during loading and unloading is consistent.

[0072] The spacing between the workpieces on the conveying mechanism 24 along the first direction is greater than the spacing between the workpieces on the loading mechanism 21 along the second direction. Thus, the pitch-changing mechanism 25 can reduce the spacing between the workpieces along the first direction so that the loading and unloading postures of the workpieces remain consistent.

[0073] The pitch-changing mechanism 25 can use a linear motion module to drive two conveyor belts to move closer or further apart, thereby changing the spacing between the workpieces on the conveyor belts.

[0074] Please see Figure 3In some embodiments, the conveying device 2 further includes a feeding mechanism 26 disposed on the frame 1. The feeding mechanism 26 is located downstream of the pitch-changing mechanism 25. The feeding mechanism 26 conveys workpieces along a first direction. The conveying mechanism further includes a fourth robot arm 35 that is movable along a second direction and rotatably disposed on the traveling mechanism 31 around a third direction. The fourth robot arm 35 is used to rotate the pitch-changing workpieces to be arranged side by side along the second direction and move them onto the feeding mechanism 26. The fourth robot arm 35 can pick up workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction on the conveying mechanism 24 and rotate them so that the workpieces are arranged side by side along the second direction and placed on the feeding mechanism 26. In this way, the placement posture of the workpieces on the feeding mechanism 26 is consistent with that of the workpieces on the loading mechanism 21.

[0075] The feeding mechanism 26 can be a conveyor belt conveyor mechanism 24 or a steel belt conveyor mechanism 24, etc.

[0076] Please see Figure 1The following describes the detection process of the workpiece inspection equipment 100 of this application using the working principle of some embodiments: The feeding mechanism 21 conveys multiple sets of workpieces arranged side-by-side along the second direction with their long sides parallel to the first direction. The first robotic arm 32 picks up two sets of workpieces and moves them to the first cleaning mechanism 51, which removes dust from the workpieces. Then, the first robotic arm 32 moves the two sets of workpieces to the first inspection mechanism 41, which inspects the bottom surfaces of the two sets of workpieces on two opposite sides in the first direction and two opposite surfaces in the third direction. The first robotic arm 32 transfers the two sets of workpieces from the feeding mechanism 21 to the rotating table 222 of the rotating mechanism 22, with one set of workpieces placed on each rotating table 222. The base 221 of the rotating mechanism 22 rotates the two sets of workpieces simultaneously, aligning them side-by-side along the first direction with their long sides perpendicular to the first direction. Then, the base 221 rotates each set of workpieces, aligning each set of workpieces side-by-side along the first direction with their long sides parallel to the first direction. Then, each rotary table 222 rotates simultaneously, aligning each group of workpieces side-by-side along the second direction with their long sides parallel to the first direction. Next, the second robotic arm 33 picks up two workpieces aligned side-by-side along the first direction and transfers them to the lifting assembly 232 of the moving mechanism 23. Each lifting assembly 232 holds a set of two workpieces aligned side-by-side along the first direction. The two driving ends of the driving assembly 231 of the moving mechanism 23 drive the lifting assembly 232 sequentially toward the second detection mechanism 42, so that the second detection mechanism 42 inspects each workpiece one by one on its two opposite sides in the second direction and its top surface on its two opposite surfaces in the third direction. After inspection, the driving ends drive the lifting assembly 232 to move to the third robotic arm 34. The third robotic arm 34 picks up the workpieces and rotates them so that they are aligned side-by-side along the first direction with their long sides perpendicular to the first direction. The lifting assembly 232, having finished unloading, resets to receive the next set of workpieces and lowers its own lifting platform 2322 to avoid another lifting platform 2322 that is currently inspecting. After the workpiece on the third robotic arm 34 has rotated, the third robotic arm 34 places the workpiece on the conveying mechanism 24. The conveying mechanism 24 moves the workpiece towards the unloading mechanism 26 and stops it near the third detection mechanism 43. The third detection mechanism 43 moves along the second direction to sequentially detect different areas of the top surface of the workpiece on two opposing surfaces in the third direction. After detection, the workpiece enters the pitch-changing mechanism 25, which adjusts the distance between the two workpieces along the first direction to match the distance between a group of workpieces on the loading mechanism 21. The fourth robotic arm 35 picks up the pitch-changing workpiece and rotates it so that it is parallel to the second direction with its long side parallel to the first direction, i.e., maintaining the same posture as the loading mechanism 21. The unloading mechanism 26 unloads the workpiece. This completes the detection of multiple surfaces of the workpiece.

[0077] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0078] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0079] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0080] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0081] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0082] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0083] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A workpiece inspection device, characterized in that, include: frame; A conveying device includes a feeding mechanism and a rotating mechanism. The feeding mechanism is mounted on the frame and is used to convey at least one group of workpieces along a first direction. Each group of workpieces includes at least two workpieces arranged side-by-side along a second direction. The rotating mechanism is located downstream of the feeding mechanism and includes a base and two rotating platforms. The base is rotatably connected to the frame about its own axis, and the rotating platforms are rotatably connected to the base about their respective axes. The axes of the base and the rotating platforms both point to a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other and are not coplanar. Both the base and the rotating platforms are used to rotate so that the workpieces are arranged side-by-side along the first direction, and so that the opposite sides of adjacent workpieces are different in the first direction. A conveying device includes a walking mechanism and a first manipulator. The walking mechanism is disposed on the frame, and the first manipulator is movably disposed on the walking mechanism along a second direction. The first manipulator is used to move at least one group of workpieces on the loading mechanism to the corresponding rotary table. A detection device is mounted on the frame and is used to detect the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction and the second direction.

2. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection device includes a first detection mechanism, which is disposed on the frame and located downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the rotating mechanism. The first detection mechanism has a first detection position along the first direction and a second detection position at the bottom along the third direction. The first detection position is used to detect the side of the workpiece along the first direction, and the second detection position is used to detect the bottom surface of the workpiece along the third direction. The first robot arm is used to move the workpiece along the second direction to the first detection mechanism.

3. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection device further includes a second detection mechanism disposed on the frame, and the conveying device further includes a moving mechanism disposed on the frame. The moving mechanism is located downstream of the rotating mechanism. The conveying device further includes a second manipulator movable along the second direction and disposed on the walking mechanism. The second manipulator is used to grab the workpieces arranged side by side on the rotating table along the first direction and move them to the moving mechanism. The moving mechanism is used to drive the workpieces to move along the first direction toward the second detection mechanism. The second detection mechanism is provided with a third detection position along the second direction and a fourth detection position at the top along the third direction. The third detection position is used to detect the side surface of the workpiece along the second direction, and the fourth detection position is used to detect the top surface of the workpiece along the third direction.

4. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The moving mechanism includes a drive assembly and two lifting assemblies. The drive assembly is mounted on the frame and includes two drive ends arranged opposite each other along the second direction. The drive ends respectively drive the lifting assemblies to move alternately back and forth along the first direction. The lifting ends of the lifting assemblies are used to receive the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction. The two lifting ends are respectively lifted and retracted to be staggered from each other along the third direction.

5. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The conveying device further includes a conveying mechanism disposed on the frame, the conveying mechanism being located downstream of the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism conveying the workpiece along the second direction. The detection device further includes a third detection mechanism disposed on the traveling mechanism, the third detection mechanism being located at the top of the conveying mechanism along the third direction. The handling device further includes a third manipulator movably disposed on the traveling mechanism along the second direction, the third manipulator having two gripping parts that rotate around their respective axes, the axes pointing in the third direction. The gripping parts are used to grip and rotate the workpieces arranged side by side along the first direction on the moving mechanism, and after rotation, the adjacent workpieces on the opposite side in the first direction are the same as the adjacent workpieces on the opposite side in the first direction after the base is rotated. The third manipulator also moves the rotated workpieces onto the conveying mechanism, the conveying mechanism being used to convey the workpieces to the third detection mechanism.

6. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third detection mechanism is movably disposed on the traveling mechanism along the second direction. The third detection mechanism is used to move when the conveying mechanism is stationary, so as to sequentially detect different areas on the top surface of the workpiece along the third direction.

7. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conveying device further includes a pitch-changing mechanism disposed on the frame. The pitch-changing mechanism is located downstream of the conveying mechanism. The pitch-changing mechanism is used to receive the workpieces on the conveying mechanism and adjust the spacing of the workpieces along the first direction to be the same as the spacing of the workpieces along the second direction on the feeding mechanism.

8. The workpiece inspection equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveying device further includes a feeding mechanism disposed on the frame, the feeding mechanism being located downstream of the pitch-changing mechanism, the feeding mechanism conveying the workpiece along the first direction, and the conveying mechanism further includes a fourth manipulator disposed on the traveling mechanism that is movable along the second direction and rotatable around the third direction, the fourth manipulator being used to rotate the pitch-changing workpiece to be arranged side by side along the second direction and move it to the feeding mechanism.

9. The workpiece inspection equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism is used to transport two sets of workpieces, and the first robot arm is used to place the two sets of workpieces on the corresponding rotating tables.

10. The workpiece inspection equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The workpiece inspection equipment also includes a cleaning device located on the frame, upstream of the inspection device, which is used to remove dust from the workpiece.

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