Glass lens double-station three-piece synchronous appearance detection equipment with stacked feeding and stacked binning discharging

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of glass mirror lens appearance defect double position batch automatic detection equipment, belong to optical lens automated quality inspection equipment field.The existing similar equipment is manually intervened more, detection capacity is low, it is difficult to be unattended for a long time.The whole equipment adopts a linear type table layout, integrates material conveying mechanism, double position bearing assembly, visual detection component and sorting storage mechanism, relies on linear transmission structure to complete lens circulation and image acquisition, and is matched with multiple groups of layered storage bin to realize lens classification storage.The equipment reduces manual operation, improves the continuity and automation level of lens appearance detection, and is suitable for optical lens mass appearance defect detection scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated inspection equipment for optical lenses, specifically to a dual-station batch automated inspection equipment for surface defects in glass lenses. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, some production scenarios in the industry still rely on manual visual inspection, where inspectors identify defects such as chipped edges, scratches, pits, and dirt on the lens surface under a light source. This method is inefficient, the judgment criteria are easily affected by the personnel's experience and working conditions, resulting in poor consistency. Furthermore, prolonged operation can lead to visual fatigue, causing missed or false detections, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale, high-standard production inspections.

[0003] Existing automated lens appearance inspection equipment still has many shortcomings: First, traditional inspection equipment lacks an independent stackable feeding and storage structure, allowing only one tray of lenses to be placed at a time, requiring frequent manual replenishment, resulting in long downtime and poor continuous production capacity. Second, conventional single-channel inspection equipment can only inspect a single lens at a time, leading to low throughput; while some dual-station equipment has two sets of platforms, it lacks a structure for simultaneous three-lens grasping and imaging, limiting output per unit time. Third, existing dual-station inspection equipment can only complete lens transfer between stations, requiring manual sorting of good and defective lenses after inspection; the discharge lacks a layered stacking and storage structure, necessitating frequent manual retrieval and making long-term unattended production impossible. Fourth, existing transfer mechanisms mostly grasp entire trays without individual lens sorting structures, failing to automatically separate qualified and unqualified lenses into compartments, requiring secondary manual sorting, resulting in low automation. Therefore, current technology lacks an integrated glass lens appearance inspection equipment that features stacked feeding, alternating dual-station inspection, simultaneous three-lens imaging at a single station, and automatic compartmenting and stacking of unloaded lenses after inspection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is: to overcome the shortcomings of existing glass lens inspection equipment, such as messy table layout, inability to stack and continuously feed, low single inspection capacity, lack of automatic sorting and discharging structure, and the need to flip the lens for imaging, which easily scratches the lens. This invention provides a dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses. The whole machine adopts a straight table layout in a straight line, with the feeding area, dual inspection stations, and sorting and discharging area arranged sequentially along the length direction. It is equipped with a full-length straight gantry transfer mechanism, three sets of synchronous gripping claws, upper and lower coaxial vision units, multi-axis sorting robotic arms, and three sets of universal stacking magazines to realize straight material flow, three-piece synchronous double-sided imaging, and automatic sorting and stacking after inspection.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses, including a frame, a fixed worktable on the top of the frame, the worktable being arranged in a straight line along its length, symmetrically arranged support columns on the left and right sides of the worktable, and a continuous gantry beam supported at the top of the two support columns; an X-axis transmission module is slidably mounted on the gantry beam, a Z-axis lifting module is fixed at the lower end of the X-axis transmission module, a gripper mounting plate is installed at the bottom of the Z-axis lifting module, and three sets of pneumatic grippers are arranged horizontally and equidistantly below the gripper mounting plate; a first inspection platform and a second inspection platform are arranged in a straight line in the middle of the worktable, and three sets of lens bearing positioning grooves are opened on the surface of both the first and second inspection platforms; each set of lens bearing positioning grooves corresponds to a set of visual imaging units, and the visual imaging unit includes a vertical The system includes a linear slide rail, camera bracket, camera, light bracket, and light. Both the first and second inspection platforms are equipped with a cross-shaped translation mechanism, which consists of a lower X-axis electric cylinder drive module and an upper Y-axis electric cylinder drive module stacked together. A magazine-type feed hopper is installed at the far right of the worktable, and a sorting robot arm is located at the far left. A pneumatic suction cup is mounted at the end of the sorting robot arm. Qualified and unqualified product magazine-type discharge hoppers are fixed side-by-side next to the sorting robot arm. The magazine-type feed hopper, qualified product magazine-type discharge hopper, and unqualified product magazine-type discharge hopper have identical structures, all being vertically stacked compartments. The X-axis transmission module and Z-axis lifting module both use stepper motors with helical gear transmission structures, while the X-axis and Y-axis electric cylinder drive modules use servo ball screws with precision linear slide rail transmission structures.

[0006] Furthermore, a sliding locking slider is set on the vertical slide rail, the camera bracket is fixed at both ends of the locking slide rail, the light bracket is fixed between the bracket and the lens being tested, the camera and the light are arranged coaxially and vertically opposite each other, the locking slider is equipped with a hand-tightening locking bolt, loosening the bolt allows it to slide freely up and down along the vertical slide rail, and tightening the bolt after adjustment locks the height. It can adjust the imaging working distance according to glass lenses of different thicknesses and specifications, and adapt to the testing needs of various products.

[0007] Furthermore, the sorting robot arm is a multi-axis collaborative robot arm with horizontal translation, vertical lifting, and multi-dimensional rotational motion freedom. Its motion stroke fully covers the entire area of ​​the second inspection platform, the qualified product clip-type discharge bin, and the unqualified product clip-type discharge bin. The pneumatic suction cup has a built-in independent vacuum generator and multiple sets of micro silicone suction heads, which can pick up glass lenses one by one. It relies on gentle vacuum suction to adsorb the optical surface of the lens, without causing squeezing, bumping, scratching or damage.

[0008] Furthermore, the three sets of pneumatic grippers are independently equipped with pneumatic solenoid valves and air supply branches, which can control the opening and closing of any one set of grippers individually, or achieve synchronous clamping and release of all three sets. The inner clamping end face of each set of pneumatic grippers is pasted with a thickened flexible silicone buffer pad to increase the clamping friction and prevent hard metal from directly contacting the lens and causing scratches. The lateral installation spacing of the three sets of pneumatic grippers corresponds one-to-one with the three sets of lens bearing positioning grooves, resulting in high transfer and alignment accuracy.

[0009] Furthermore, threaded horizontal adjustment support blocks are installed at the four corners and the middle support points at the bottom of the frame. The machine can be leveled by rotating the support blocks. Support columns are symmetrically set on the left and right sides of the worktable. Right-angled triangular reinforcing ribs are welded at the corners where the support columns connect with the gantry beam and the worktable to evenly distribute the load of the gantry beam, greatly improve the overall structural rigidity of the long gantry, and eliminate the problem of beam shaking and displacement deviation during high-speed lateral movement.

[0010] Furthermore, origin reset photoelectric switches and anti-collision limit photoelectric switches are installed at both ends of the travel limit positions of the X-axis transmission module, Z-axis lifting module, X-axis electric cylinder drive module, and Y-axis electric cylinder drive module. All modules rely on linear slide rails for sliding guidance. After the equipment is powered on, it can automatically perform the origin zeroing action. Once the travel boundary signal is triggered during operation, the control system immediately cuts off the drive output and stops the module movement, effectively preventing module overtravel impact and part deformation damage, and improving the overall machine operation safety and service life.

[0011] Furthermore, the side walls of the magazine-type feeding bin, the qualified product magazine-type discharging bin, and the unqualified product magazine-type discharging bin are all equipped with quick-release buckle components. After unlocking the buckle, the entire bin can be pulled out from the workbench. The removable layered trays inside the bin can stack multiple glass lenses in layers. The bins have a unified and standardized design, and the three types are interchangeable, reducing the types of equipment processing molds and on-site spare parts. The bin is equipped with an electric lifting mechanism that can gradually lift the lens stack from bottom to top, achieving uninterrupted automatic continuous feeding without the need for manual handling of lenses each time.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner walls of the lens-bearing positioning grooves on the first and second detection platforms are equipped with annular contour-fitting limiting steps. The size of the limiting steps matches the outer diameter of a standard optical glass lens, ensuring complete circumferential limiting after the lens is placed. The stage slides smoothly on the precision linear slide rails matched with the X-axis electric cylinder drive module and the Y-axis electric cylinder drive module. During the translation process, the lens will not slide or shift, ensuring that the imaging position is consistent for each time, resulting in high image acquisition consistency and reducing the probability of visual algorithm misjudgment and missed detection.

[0013] Furthermore, the gantry beam is a continuous, one-piece profile structure that fully covers the space above the sorting and unloading area of ​​the workbench. Symmetrical support columns are arranged on both sides of the workbench to bear the load evenly. The X-axis transmission module travels in a straight line along the linear slide rail on the top of the beam. Only a single straight track is needed to complete the transfer of the entire area, eliminating the need for segmented and bent tracks. This simplifies the mechanical transmission structure, reduces the complexity of the electrical control program, and the gantry transfer path is a straight, short stroke, resulting in a faster transfer cycle and further improving the equipment's hourly testing capacity.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The entire machine adopts a straight, linear table layout, with symmetrical columns on both sides evenly supporting the long gantry. The transfer track is bend-free, resulting in a short material flow path, fewer parts, lower processing and assembly costs, and a rigid long gantry structure that ensures high-speed transport without vibration and high alignment accuracy. The right end of the equipment is equipped with a magazine-type feeding bin, which can store multiple layers of lenses. An internal lifting mechanism automatically feeds the lenses, and the bin can be disassembled as a whole, significantly reducing the frequency of manual replenishment, extending the duration of unattended continuous production, and improving equipment uptime. The two platforms operate independently and alternately in a straight line, with each platform capable of simultaneously placing three lenses. Equipped with three sets of independent grippers and three vision units, it simultaneously completes double-sided image acquisition, significantly increasing inspection capacity and eliminating downtime. The vision units adopt a coaxial imaging structure, and the adjustable slide rail height adapts to various lenses, eliminating the need for a flipping mechanism, avoiding lens scratches and positioning misalignment, simplifying the central spatial layout, and reducing motion interference. The left end is equipped with a multi-axis robotic arm and a single pneumatic suction cup, which can automatically sort and stack lenses according to the inspection results. The feeding hopper and the two types of discharge hoppers are of the same structure, and the entire unit can be extracted and transported when fully loaded, eliminating the need for manual sorting and handling. All motion modules are equipped with photoelectric protection switches. The X and Z axes use stepper motors, helical gears, and slide rails for transmission, while the XY electric cylinders use servo screws and slide rails for transmission, ensuring smooth operation and precise positioning. The frame has a leveling support, making it convenient for machine relocation and on-site installation. The grippers support multiple sets of synchronous or individual gripping, and the positioning slot contour limit ensures uniform imaging, reducing the probability of missed or false detections in the vision system and improving quality inspection stability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a first-view isometric schematic diagram of the entire device of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a second-view isometric schematic diagram of the entire device of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the detection stage and vision unit of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the sorting robotic arm of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Frame, 2. Workbench, 3. Qualified product magazine-type discharge bin, 4. Unqualified product magazine-type discharge bin, 5. Support column, 6. Gantry beam, 7. X-axis transmission module, 8. Z-axis lifting module, 9. Gripper mounting plate, 10. Pneumatic gripper, 11. First inspection platform, 12. Second inspection platform, 13. Lens bearing positioning slot, 14. Vertical slide rail, 15. Camera bracket, 16. Camera, 17. Light bracket, 18. Light, 19. Y-axis electric cylinder drive module, 20. X-axis electric cylinder drive module, 21. Magazine-type feed bin, 22. Sorting robotic arm, 23. Pneumatic suction cup. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the present invention is based on the accompanying drawings.

[0022] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, a dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for surface defects of glass lenses includes a frame 1. The frame 1 is integrally formed by welding aluminum alloy square tubes. Threaded horizontal adjustment support blocks are installed at the four corners and the middle support position of the bottom of the frame 1. The machine can be leveled by rotating the support blocks. A long strip-shaped worktable 2 is fixed on the top of the frame 1. Support columns 5 are symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the worktable 2. A continuous gantry beam 6 is jointly supported on the upper end of the support columns 5. Right-angled triangular reinforcing plates are welded to the connecting corners of the support columns 5, the gantry beam 6, and the worktable 2 to evenly distribute the load of the gantry beam 6 and prevent deformation and vibration during high-speed sliding of the gantry.

[0023] A linear slide rail and a transmission rack are laid on the top surface of the gantry beam 6. The X-axis transmission module 7 is slidably mounted on the slide rail rack. The X-axis transmission module 7 has a built-in stepper motor and helical gear transmission pair. It relies on the slide rail to realize the lateral reciprocating movement of the whole machine in the length direction. The lower end of the X-axis transmission module 7 is vertically fixed to the Z-axis lifting module 8. The Z-axis lifting module 8 is also equipped with a stepper motor, helical gear pair and vertical linear slide rail. The bottom end of the Z-axis lifting module 8 is rigidly fixed to the gripper mounting plate 9. Three sets of pneumatic grippers 10 are installed horizontally at equal intervals below the gripper mounting plate 9. The three sets of pneumatic grippers 10 are equipped with independent pneumatic solenoid valves and air supply branches. They can control a single set of grippers individually or open and close the three sets simultaneously. Silicone buffer pads are pasted on the inside of the grippers to prevent scratching the lens. The spacing of the three sets of pneumatic grippers 10 corresponds one-to-one with the lens bearing positioning groove 13.

[0024] The first inspection platform 11 and the second inspection platform 12 are arranged side by side in the middle of the worktable 2. The two platforms have the same structural dimensions and are each equipped with an independent cross translation mechanism. The lower layer of the cross translation mechanism is an X-axis electric cylinder drive module 20, and the upper layer is a Y-axis electric cylinder drive module 19. Both the X-axis electric cylinder drive module 20 and the Y-axis electric cylinder drive module 19 adopt servo ball screws with precision linear slide rail transmission to smoothly drive the platforms to move accurately in both directions on the horizontal plane. Three sets of lens bearing positioning grooves 13 are opened on the surface of each platform. The inner wall of the lens bearing positioning groove 13 is provided with an annular contour limiting step, which limits the circumferential movement of the lens after it is placed, and prevents sliding offset during translation.

[0025] Each set of lens-bearing positioning slots 13 is equipped with a set of visual imaging units. The vertical slide rail 14 is vertically fixed on the worktable surface 2. The vertical slide rail 14 is equipped with a hand-tightening locking slider. The camera bracket 15 is fixed on the outside of the locking slider. The camera bracket 15 is installed with the camera 16. The lower section of the locking is equipped with a light bracket 17. The light bracket 17 is equipped with a light 18. The camera 16 and the light 18 are arranged coaxially. The imaging height can be freely adjusted by loosening the hand-tightening bolt. After adjustment, it is locked and fixed.

[0026] At the far right end of the worktable 2, a clip-type feed bin 21 is bolted in place. The clip-type feed bin 21 is a vertically layered bin with quick-release buckles on both sides. It is equipped with a detachable tray and an electric lifting mechanism inside, allowing for the extraction and batch loading of lenses as a whole. At the far left end of the worktable 2, a multi-axis collaborative sorting robot arm 22 is fixed in place. The sorting robot arm 22's range of motion covers two sets of platforms and the discharge bins on both sides. At its end, a pneumatic suction cup 23 is installed. The pneumatic suction cup 23 has a built-in vacuum generator and can vacuum-adsorb lenses one by one. Next to the sorting robot arm 22, a qualified product clip-type discharge bin 3 and an unqualified product clip-type discharge bin 4 are set up side by side. The bin bodies, trays, and buckle structures of the clip-type feed bin 21, qualified product clip-type discharge bin 3, and unqualified product clip-type discharge bin 4 are completely interchangeable.

[0027] The X-axis transmission module 7, Z-axis lifting module 8, X-axis electric cylinder drive module 20, and Y-axis electric cylinder drive module 19 are all equipped with origin reset photoelectric switches and limit anti-collision photoelectric switches at both ends. They automatically return to zero upon power-on and trigger the automatic stop protection at the travel limit.

[0028] The overall workflow of this equipment is as follows: The operator places multiple glass lenses to be inspected in layers from bottom to top on the tray inside the magazine-type feeding hopper 21. The lifting mechanism inside the hopper gradually lifts the lens stack. The gantry X-axis drive module 7 drives three sets of pneumatic grippers 10 to grab the lenses and transport them to the lens-bearing positioning slot 13 of the first inspection platform 11. The X-axis electric cylinder drive module 20 and the Y-axis electric cylinder drive module 19 work together to move the platform, so that the lenses move sequentially to below the vision unit. The light 18 shines upward, and the camera 16 simultaneously captures double-sided images of the lenses. After the initial inspection of three lenses is completed on the first inspection platform 11, the gantry X-axis drive module 7 drives three sets of pneumatic grippers 10 to grab the lenses and transfer them to the second inspection platform 12 for secondary inspection. The two platforms work alternately, with one platform inspecting and the other loading without any waiting time. After all lenses have been re-inspected, the sorting robotic arm 22 drives the pneumatic suction cup 23 to pick up the lenses one by one. According to the image detection results, the lenses are transferred to the qualified product clip-type discharge bin 3 and the unqualified product clip-type discharge bin 4 for layered stacking. When the discharge bin is full, the buckle is unlocked and the entire bin is pulled out to transfer the lens stack, which can realize long-term unattended continuous quality inspection.

[0029] In this embodiment, the frame size, platform travel distance, number of pneumatic grippers, vision unit, and number of magazine stack layers are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. The travel distance of each module, the storage capacity of the magazine, and the range of motion of the robotic arm can be flexibly adjusted according to the glass lens specifications and production line cycle time. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0030] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dual-station batch automatic inspection device for surface defects of glass lenses, comprising a frame (1) and a fixed worktable (2) above the frame (1), characterized in that: The workbench (2) adopts a straight, linear layout. The workbench (2) is divided into a stacking feeding area, a dual-station synchronous detection area, and a sorting and discharging area from right to left along its length. Support columns (5) are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the workbench (2). A continuous gantry beam (6) is erected on the top of the two support columns (5). An X-axis transmission module (7) is slidably mounted on the gantry beam (6). A first detection platform (11) is set below the gantry beam (6) corresponding to the dual-station synchronous detection area. The second detection platform (12) is equipped with a magazine-type feed bin (21) in the stacked feeding area. The sorting and discharging area is equipped with a sorting robot arm (22), a qualified product magazine-type discharge bin (3), and an unqualified product magazine-type discharge bin (4). The X-axis transmission module (7) is equipped with a lifting and picking structure, which can transfer the lens in the magazine-type feed bin (21) to two sets of detection platforms. The two sets of detection platforms are equipped with imaging acquisition components. The sorting robot arm (22) sends the lens to the two types of discharge bins for layered stacking based on the imaging detection signal.

2. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The X-axis transmission module (7) is fixed to the Z-axis lifting module (8) at its lower end. The Z-axis lifting module (8) is fitted with a gripper mounting plate (9) at its bottom. Three sets of pneumatic grippers (10) are arranged horizontally and equidistantly below the gripper mounting plate (9). Both the X-axis transmission module (7) and the Z-axis lifting module (8) adopt a stepper motor with a helical gear and linear slide rail transmission structure.

3. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first detection platform (11) and the second detection platform (12) each have three sets of lens bearing positioning grooves (13) on their surfaces. The first detection platform (11) and the second detection platform (12) are equipped with cross translation mechanisms below them. The cross translation mechanism is composed of a lower X-axis electric cylinder drive module (20) and an upper Y-axis electric cylinder drive module (19) stacked together. The X-axis electric cylinder drive module (20) and the Y-axis electric cylinder drive module (19) adopt a servo ball screw combined with a precision linear slide rail transmission structure.

4. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each set of lens-bearing positioning slots (13) corresponds to a set of visual imaging units. The visual imaging unit includes a vertical slide rail (14), a camera bracket (15), a camera (16), a light bracket (17), and a light (18). A sliding locking slider with a hand-tightening locking bolt is provided on the vertical slide rail (14). The camera (16) and the light (18) are arranged coaxially and vertically opposite each other.

5. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting robot arm (22) is a multi-axis collaborative robot arm. The end of the sorting robot arm (22) is equipped with a pneumatic suction cup (23). The pneumatic suction cup (23) has a built-in vacuum generator and can pick up only a single glass lens.

6. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magazine-type feed bin (21), qualified product magazine-type discharge bin (3), and unqualified product magazine-type discharge bin (4) have the same structure. They are all vertically stacked bins with quick-release buckle components on the side walls. The bins are equipped with an electric lifting feeding mechanism and detachable layered trays.

7. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the lens bearing positioning groove (13) is provided with an annular contour limiting step, which matches the outer diameter of the glass lens.

8. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The origin reset photoelectric switch and the anti-collision limit photoelectric switch are installed at both ends of the travel limit positions of the X-axis transmission module (7), Z-axis lifting module (8), X-axis electric cylinder drive module (20), and Y-axis electric cylinder drive module (19).

9. The dual-station batch automatic inspection equipment for appearance defects of glass lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (1) is equipped with threaded horizontal adjustment support blocks at the four corners and the middle support points at the bottom. Right-angled triangular reinforcing ribs are welded at the connecting corners of the support column (5), gantry beam (6), and worktable (2).

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