A multi-faceted vision inspection apparatus for small metal objects

Abstract

This utility model discloses a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal items. The device includes a transfer mechanism, a visual inspection component, and a sorting and storage mechanism. The transfer mechanism adopts a rotary multi-station design, with multiple negative pressure suction nozzles distributed circumferentially on the rotary table. A drive mechanism enables lifting and stepping rotation, sequentially connecting to a feeding vibratory feeder, a visual inspection station, and a sorting bin. The visual inspection component has at least two independent inspection stations, equipped with a visual inspection camera, supplementary lighting source, and prism, capable of simultaneously capturing images of the product's top surface, sides, and other angles, improving the comprehensiveness of the inspection. The sorting and storage mechanism includes OK and NG bins for automatic sorting. The negative pressure suction nozzles employ an elastic buffer mechanism to prevent product damage and are connected to sensors to monitor the suction status. This utility model solves the problems of low efficiency, high missed detection rate, and difficulty in data traceability associated with manual inspection, and is suitable for high-precision automated appearance inspection of small metal parts such as screws, bearings, and mobile phone components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated inspection equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of metal products (such as screws, bearings, precision stamping parts, electronic connectors, etc.), the appearance quality of the product directly affects its assembly performance and service life. Traditional appearance inspection mainly relies on manual visual inspection, that is, front-line employees check the surface of each product one by one under strong light to check for defects such as bright spots, shiny marks, color differences, scratches, and black spots. However, manual inspection methods have the following significant problems:

[0003] The detection efficiency is low and it is difficult to match the production cycle.

[0004] In the high-speed production mode of modern automated production lines, manual inspection is inefficient and can easily become a bottleneck in production, affecting overall capacity.

[0005] High false negative rate and poor quality stability;

[0006] The human eye is prone to fatigue under prolonged high-intensity work, causing minor defects to be overlooked. In addition, the judgment standards of different quality inspectors may vary subjectively, affecting the consistency of inspection.

[0007] The work environment harms employees' health;

[0008] Manual inspections are usually carried out in bright light environments. Employees who are exposed to high-brightness light sources for a long time are prone to visual fatigue, dry eyes, and even vision damage.

[0009] Unable to achieve comprehensive detection from multiple angles;

[0010] Metal parts typically require inspection of multiple surfaces (such as the top, sides, and threads). Manual inspection requires flipping the product, which is not only inefficient but also prone to missed inspections due to improper operation.

[0011] Weak data traceability and analysis capabilities;

[0012] Manual inspection makes it difficult to accurately record the type, location, and frequency of defects, which is not conducive to the statistical analysis of quality data and process optimization.

[0013] Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of existing technology, it is necessary to design a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects to solve the above problems.

[0014] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solution of this utility model and facilitating the understanding of those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that the above content is known to those skilled in the art simply because it has been described in the background section of this utility model. Utility Model Content

[0015] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to disclose a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects, thereby improving inspection efficiency and accuracy.

[0016] This utility model discloses a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects, comprising:

[0017] The transfer mechanism includes a turntable and a drive mechanism. At least four stations are evenly distributed around the turntable, each equipped with a negative pressure suction nozzle to grip products using negative pressure adsorption. A feeding vibratory feeder, a vision inspection component, and a sorting and storage mechanism are sequentially arranged on the outer side of the turntable along its rotation direction. This allows the negative pressure suction nozzle to grip products from the feeding vibratory feeder, pass them through the vision inspection component for inspection, and finally move the inspected products to the sorting and storage mechanism for sorting and placement. The vision inspection component includes at least two independent inspection stations, each equipped with a vision inspection camera for visual inspection of different surfaces of the products. The sorting and storage mechanism includes at least two hoppers to achieve the purpose of sorting and storing products.

[0018] The drive mechanism connects to the turntable and drives it to perform lifting and stepping rotation movements, so that the suction nozzle sequentially docks with the discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate, the vision inspection camera, and the inlet of the hopper. The lifting movement controls the docking of the negative pressure suction nozzle with the product and avoids interference between the negative pressure suction nozzle and the peripheral equipment during the rotation of the turntable. The stepping rotation movement is used to improve the docking accuracy of the negative pressure suction nozzle with the discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate, the vision inspection camera, and the inlet of the hopper.

[0019] Preferred technical solution: The silo includes at least one OK silo and one NG silo, and the silo is equipped with an openable and closable access cover to facilitate the classification and storage of OK and NG products.

[0020] Preferred technical solution: Each negative pressure nozzle is independently connected to an identification device, which is a pressure sensor or a photoelectric sensor, used to detect whether the negative pressure nozzle is sucking up the product, facilitating data statistics and problem tracking.

[0021] Preferred technical solution: The negative pressure nozzles are all connected to the turntable through an elastic buffer mechanism. The elastic buffer mechanism includes a spring and a linear bearing, and the negative pressure nozzle can float along its axis to avoid damage when the negative pressure nozzle docks with the product.

[0022] Preferred technical solution: The inspection station is also equipped with a supplementary light source. Both the visual inspection camera and the supplementary light source are connected to an adjustment mechanism, which can adjust the inspection position, angle and light intensity at any time according to different products.

[0023] Preferred technical solution: The supplementary light source includes any one of the following: ring light source, surface light source, and bowl light source.

[0024] Preferred technical solution: The inspection station also includes a prism, which is positioned between the visual inspection camera and the negative pressure nozzle to reflect the side image of the product to the visual inspection camera.

[0025] Preferred technical solution: The adjustment mechanism includes a three-dimensional slide and an angle adjustment gimbal, which are used to adjust the spatial position and illumination angle of the visual inspection camera and the supplementary light source, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the inspection position and angle.

[0026] Preferred technical solution: The discharge port of the material vibratory feeder is connected to the negative pressure suction nozzle through a direct vibration feeding channel. A positioning fixture is provided at the end of the direct vibration feeding channel. The positioning fixture includes a clamping block and a clamping cylinder that drives the clamping block, which is used to position the product and improve the docking accuracy with the negative pressure suction nozzle.

[0027] Preferred technical solution: A storage tray is provided above the feeding vibratory feeder, and the lower outlet of the storage tray is connected to the feed inlet of the feeding vibratory feeder to reduce surface damage to the product caused by excessive accumulation.

[0028] Due to the application of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0029] 1) Adopting a rotary multi-station design, combined with negative pressure suction nozzles and stepper drive mechanism, it realizes automatic product feeding, inspection and classification, greatly reducing manual intervention and the inspection speed is far superior to traditional manual visual inspection; multiple independent inspection stations work in parallel, which can simultaneously inspect different surfaces of the product, further shortening the inspection cycle and matching the needs of high-speed production lines.

[0030] 2) The visual inspection component is equipped with multiple cameras and supplementary light sources. Combined with prism reflection technology, it can quickly capture defects from multiple directions, such as the top and sides of the product, avoiding missed inspections caused by manual flipping. The position of the camera and light source can be flexibly adjusted through the adjustment mechanism to adapt to the inspection needs of metal items of different shapes and sizes.

[0031] 3) The negative pressure suction nozzle adopts an elastic buffer mechanism to avoid mechanical damage to the product during suction and ensure accurate positioning; the supplementary light source provides uniform illumination, reduces reflection interference, improves image clarity, and facilitates accurate defect identification by the vision system.

[0032] 4) The classified storage mechanism is equipped with OK and NG hoppers to automatically distinguish between qualified and unqualified products, which facilitates subsequent processing; the negative pressure nozzle is equipped with air pressure or photoelectric sensors to monitor the suction status in real time and ensure the reliability of the testing process; the test data can be recorded and stored to provide a basis for quality analysis and process optimization.

[0033] 5) Completely replaces manual visual inspection, reduces employees' long working hours in strong light environments, and avoids problems such as vision damage; reduces the company's reliance on skilled quality inspectors, saves labor costs, and eliminates subjective differences in human judgment. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism of this utility model;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the visual inspection component in this utility model;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism of this utility model;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the classification and storage machine in this utility model.

[0041] In the attached diagrams above, 1 is the transfer mechanism; 11 is the turntable; 12 is the drive mechanism; 13 is the negative pressure suction nozzle; 14 is the identification device; 15 is the elastic buffer mechanism; 2 is the feeding vibratory feeder; 21 is the direct vibration feeding channel; 3 is the vision inspection component; 31 is the vision inspection camera; 32 is the supplementary light source; 33 is the adjustment mechanism; 4 is the classification and storage mechanism; 41 is the hopper; and 5 is the storage tray. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0043] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be used interchangeably where appropriate for the description of embodiments of this application herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and their synonyms, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0044] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing the present invention and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0045] Furthermore, in addition to indicating direction or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setting," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," "fitting," and "fitting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Similarly, "fitting" can mean completely or partially fitted. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0047] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0048] Example:

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model discloses a multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal items, including a transfer mechanism 1, a feeding vibratory feeder 2, a visual inspection component 3, and a classification and storage mechanism 4. The main components of this utility model will be described in detail below:

[0050] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the transfer mechanism 1 includes a turntable 11 and a drive mechanism 12. The turntable 11 has five stations (A, B, C, D, E) evenly distributed around its circumference. Each station is connected to a negative pressure suction nozzle 13 via an elastic buffer mechanism 15, which includes a spring and a linear bearing. The negative pressure suction nozzle 13 can float along its axial direction. The drive mechanism 12 connects to the turntable 11 and drives it to perform lifting and stepping rotation movements, so that the suction nozzle 13 sequentially docks with the discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate 2, the visual inspection camera 31, and the inlet of the hopper 41. Each negative pressure suction nozzle 13 is independently connected to an identification device 14, which is a pressure sensor or a photoelectric sensor, used to detect whether the negative pressure suction nozzle 13 has picked up a product. The feeding vibratory plate 2, the visual inspection component 3, and the sorting and storage mechanism 4 are arranged sequentially on the outer side of the turntable 11 along its rotation direction.

[0051] The discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate 2 is connected to the negative pressure suction nozzle 13 through the direct vibration feeding channel 21 to achieve orderly feeding; the end of the direct vibration feeding channel 21 is provided with a positioning clamp, which includes a clamping block and a clamping cylinder for driving the clamping block; a storage plate 5 is provided above the feeding vibratory plate 2, and the lower end outlet of the storage plate 5 is connected to the feed port of the feeding vibratory plate 2.

[0052] The visual inspection component 3 includes at least two independent inspection stations, each equipped with a visual inspection camera 31; the classification and storage mechanism 4 includes at least two hoppers 41, and each inspection station is also equipped with a supplementary light source 32. Both the visual inspection camera 31 and the supplementary light source 32 are connected to an adjustment mechanism 33. The supplementary light source 32 includes any one of a ring light source, a surface light source, and a bowl light source; the inspection station also includes a prism, which is positioned between the visual inspection camera 31 and the negative pressure suction nozzle 13 to reflect the side image of the product to the visual inspection camera 31; the adjustment mechanism 33 includes a three-dimensional slide and an angle adjustment gimbal, used to adjust the spatial position and illumination angle of the visual inspection camera 31 and the supplementary light source 32.

[0053] The hopper 41 includes multiple OK hoppers and one NG hopper, and the hopper 41 is equipped with an openable and closable loading and unloading cover for easy removal of products from the hopper 41.

[0054] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the usage method and principle of this utility model are described below:

[0055] Feeding stage: The storage tray 5 continuously conveys products to the feeding vibrating plate 2. The feeding vibrating plate 2 conveys the products to the end of the direct vibration feeding channel 21. The positioning clamps the products. The turntable 11 rotates to the discharge port of the feeding vibrating plate 2. The turntable 11 descends, driving the negative pressure suction nozzle 13 to descend and suck up the products.

[0056] Testing phase: The turntable rotates step by step, driving the product through stations A, B, C, D, and E in sequence, and at each station, the product is connected to the testing device through lifting control.

[0057] Workstation A consists of a visual inspection camera 31, a ring light source 32, a prism, and a surface light. The adjustment mechanism 33 can be freely adjusted up and down and forward and backward.

[0058] Workstation B consists of a visual inspection camera 31, a prism, and a semi-ring light source 32. The adjustment mechanism 33 can be adjusted up and down, forward and backward, and left and right.

[0059] Workstation C consists of a visual inspection camera 31, a prism, and ring light and surface light supplementary light sources 32. The adjustment mechanism 33 can be freely adjusted up and down and forward and backward.

[0060] Workstation D: Composed of a vision inspection camera 31, a prism, a semi-ring light source, and a surface light supplementary light source 32. The adjustment mechanism 33 can be freely adjusted up and down and left and right.

[0061] Workstation E: It consists of a vision inspection camera 31, a cup-shaped light source 32, and an adjustment mechanism 33 that can be freely adjusted up and down.

[0062] The above vision components can be used to detect defects on multiple sides of a product. Because the position is adjustable, the detection accuracy can be optimized, thus improving the overall detection effect.

[0063] Classification stage:

[0064] If the inspection is successful, the turntable rotates to the classification and storage mechanism 4, and the product is released into the OK hopper.

[0065] If the test fails, the turntable rotates to the classification and storage mechanism 4, and the product is released into the NG hopper.

[0066] Data recording: The system records the defect type (such as scratches, black spots) and the corresponding workstation, and generates inspection reports.

[0067] This invention solves the problems of low detection efficiency and high false negative rate of small metal items by using a multi-station turntable, multi-angle visual inspection and flexible suction nozzle design, and is suitable for high-precision, high-volume production scenarios.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-faceted vision inspection apparatus for small metal articles, characterized by, include: The transfer mechanism (1) includes a turntable (11) and a drive mechanism (12); the turntable (11) has at least four stations evenly distributed around its circumference, and each station is equipped with a negative pressure suction nozzle (13); the outer side of the turntable (11) is arranged in sequence along its rotation direction with a feeding vibrating plate (2), a vision inspection component (3) and a classification and storage mechanism (4); the vision inspection component (3) includes at least two independent inspection stations, and each inspection station is equipped with a vision inspection camera (31); the classification and storage mechanism (4) includes at least two hoppers (41). The drive mechanism (12) is connected to the turntable (11) and drives it to perform lifting and stepping rotation movements, so that the suction nozzle (13) is sequentially connected to the discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate (2), the visual inspection camera (31) and the inlet of the hopper (41).

2. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hopper (41) includes at least one OK hopper and one NG hopper, and the hopper (41) is provided with an openable and closable pick-up and put-out cover.

3. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the negative pressure suction nozzles (13) is independently connected to an identification device (14), which is a pressure sensor or a photoelectric sensor, used to detect whether the negative pressure suction nozzle (13) is sucking up the product.

4. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The negative pressure suction nozzles (13) are all connected to the turntable (11) through an elastic buffer mechanism (15). The elastic buffer mechanism (15) includes a spring and a linear bearing, and the negative pressure suction nozzles (13) can float along their axial direction.

5. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection station is also equipped with a supplementary light source (32), and both the visual inspection camera (31) and the supplementary light source (32) are connected to an adjustment mechanism (33).

6. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 5, characterized in that: The supplementary light source (32) includes any one of a ring light source, a surface light source, and a bowl light source.

7. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inspection station also includes a prism, which is positioned between the visual inspection camera (31) and the negative pressure suction nozzle (13) to reflect the side image of the product to the visual inspection camera (31).

8. The multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism (33) includes a three-dimensional slide and an angle adjustment gimbal, used to adjust the spatial position and illumination angle of the visual inspection camera (31) and the supplementary light source (32).

9. A multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharge port of the feeding vibratory plate (2) is connected to the negative pressure suction nozzle (13) through the direct vibration feeding channel (21). The end of the direct vibration feeding channel (21) is provided with a positioning clamp, which includes a clamping block and a clamping cylinder for driving the clamping block.

10. A multi-faceted visual inspection device for small metal objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding vibratory plate (2) is provided with a storage plate (5) above it, and the lower outlet of the storage plate (5) is connected to the feed inlet of the feeding vibratory plate (2).

Images