Multi-faceted visual inspection apparatus for product appearance

Abstract

The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment belongs to the appearance inspection technical field using optical means; in order to solve the problems of complex equipment structure, high manufacturing cost, large occupation and complicated debugging caused by the existing mechanical hand grabbing, the equipment adopts a rack, a light transmission support device, a positioning device and multiple detection cameras, at least four detection cameras are respectively located on the left, right, upper and lower sides of the detection work area, the lower side camera collects images on the product bottom through the light transmission support, and multiple synchronous detections are realized by cooperating with the reflector, the lamp strip and the fill light, so that the equipment is compact in structure, low in cost, easy to adapt to different products and suitable for industrial product appearance defect detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of appearance inspection using optical means, specifically to a multi-faceted visual inspection device for product appearance. Background Technology

[0002] In the industrial product manufacturing process, product appearance inspection is a key link to ensure product quality, and traditionally it relies heavily on manual visual inspection. However, manual inspection has inherent limitations such as low efficiency, easy fatigue, difficulty in standardizing, and high rate of missed inspections. In particular, when inspecting multiple surfaces of a product, operators need to repeatedly flip and position the product, which further reduces inspection efficiency.

[0003] Currently, Suzhou Airebong Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. applied for a Chinese patent on June 30, 2021, entitled "Multi-faceted Appearance Inspection Agency" with authorization announcement number CN215218599U; this patent inspects the appearance of a product by setting multiple inspection devices facing each other on the side of the product. However, such multi-faceted appearance inspection mechanisms require robotic arms to pick up the products to be inspected and place them in the inspection area. This results in a complex overall structure and high manufacturing costs, making them unsuitable for low-value-added product types. Furthermore, changing the product to be inspected necessitates extensive readjustments to the mechanical structure and visual inspection procedures, increasing operating costs, particularly time costs. Finally, the use of robotic arms also requires significant space, making them poorly adaptable to production environments with limited space. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a multi-faceted visual inspection device for product appearance. It utilizes a structure including a frame, a light-transmitting support device, a positioning device, and multiple inspection cameras. At least four inspection cameras are located on the left, right, upper, and lower sides of the inspection area, respectively. The lower camera acquires images of the product through the light-transmitting support device. This solves the technical problems of existing technologies where the use of robotic arms to grasp products results in complex equipment structures, high manufacturing costs, troublesome adjustments, and large space occupation. It offers the advantages of simple structure, low cost, easy adaptation to different products, space saving, and improved inspection efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: A multi-faceted visual inspection device for product appearance, comprising a frame; A light-transmitting support device is used to support the product being tested. A positioning device is used to position the product to be tested in the testing area on a light-transmitting support device. Multiple inspection cameras, at least four inspection cameras are mounted on the frame and located on the left, right and top and bottom sides of the inspection area, respectively. The inspection area is within the field of view of each inspection camera. The inspection camera located on the lower side of the inspection area captures images of the product being tested on the inspection area through a light-transmitting support device.

[0006] Preferably, the worktable of the frame has light-transmitting holes, and a transparent sheet covering the light-transmitting holes constitutes a light-transmitting support device; or, The light-transmitting support device is a belt-driven assembly line, and the belt of the assembly line is a transparent belt; or... The light-transmitting support device is a roller-type production line, and the rollers of the roller-type production line are transparent rollers.

[0007] Preferably, when the light-transmitting support device is a transparent sheet covering the light-transmitting hole; The positioning device is a positioning protrusion and / or positioning recess provided on the transparent sheet; or, The positioning device is a pneumatic finger mounted on the frame. The pneumatic finger is used to clamp and position the product under test in the testing area. The pneumatic finger is connected to the control air source pipeline.

[0008] Preferably, when the light-transmitting support device is a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor; The positioning device is a control mechanism for stopping a belt-driven or roller-driven assembly line; or, The positioning device is a pneumatic finger mounted on the frame. The pneumatic finger is used to clamp and position the product under test in the testing area. The pneumatic finger is connected to the control air circuit.

[0009] Preferably, a reflector is also provided on the lower side of the testing area; The inspection camera, located below the inspection area, has its field of view reflected by a reflector and then aimed at the inspection area through a light-transmitting support device.

[0010] Preferably, when the positioning device is a belt conveyor line; The reflector and the inspection camera located on the lower side of the inspection area are set between the upper and lower reciprocating belts of the belt conveyor.

[0011] Preferably, the frame is also equipped with several light strips, which illuminate the testing area at a low angle.

[0012] Preferably, an inspection camera is provided at the front of the inspection area, with the lens of the inspection camera facing the inspection area; The operating station is located at the rear of the testing area.

[0013] Preferably, inspection cameras are installed on both the front and rear sides of the inspection area; The inspection area is located within the field of view of the inspection cameras on both the front and rear sides.

[0014] Preferably, it also includes several supplementary lights, which are set in front of the lenses of one or more inspection cameras.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: By employing a light-transmitting support device and combining it with at least four inspection cameras located on the left, right, top, and bottom sides of the inspection area to acquire images, with the bottom inspection camera directly capturing images of the bottom of the product through the light-transmitting support device, simultaneous inspection of multiple surfaces of the product is achieved. This structure avoids the steps of relying on robotic arms to grasp and flip products in traditional technologies, thereby significantly improving inspection efficiency and reducing the time required for a single inspection.

[0016] Because the positioning device directly fixes the product to the inspection area, and the inspection camera is fixedly installed around the inspection area, the overall structure of the equipment is more compact and simplified, which not only reduces manufacturing costs but also reduces the space occupied by the equipment, making it easier to deploy in production environments with limited space.

[0017] The reflector further optimizes the field of view and reduces the size of the equipment, thereby improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the inspection and reducing the missed detection rate. At the same time, the setting of the light strip and supplementary light with low-angle tilt illumination enhances the contrast of surface defects, such as highlighting the outline of screws and gaps on the product, thus improving the inspection quality.

[0018] When changing the type of product being tested, only the positioning device or camera parameters need to be adjusted, without the need for complex readjustments to the robot's trajectory and vision program. This greatly saves process adjustment time and operating costs, making the equipment easier to adapt to different products and improving ease of operation and flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort, and this application can be applied to other similar scenarios based on the provided drawings. Unless it is obvious from the linguistic context or otherwise stated, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structure or operation.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0021] 1-Frame, 2-Positioning recess, 3-Detection camera, 4-Light transmission hole, 5-Transparent sheet, 6-Belt conveyor line, 7-Supplement light, 8-Reflector, 9-Light strip. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the relevant application and are not intended to limit the application. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] See appendix Figure 1 This embodiment describes the basic technical solution that can achieve the purpose of this utility model.

[0025] A multi-faceted visual inspection device for product appearance includes a frame 1, a light-transmitting support device, a positioning device, and multiple inspection cameras 3; The light-transmitting support device is used to support the product being tested. In other words, the device being tested can be placed on the light-transmitting support device, which can be stationary or movable.

[0026] The positioning device is used to position the product under test in the testing area on the light-transmitting support device. Specifically, the positioning device can be a pneumatic finger used to hold the product under test. Under the control of the air source, the pneumatic finger can position the product under test in the testing area. The testing area referred to here should be the area where the fields of view of each testing camera 3 intersect.

[0027] In order to perform visual inspection on multiple sides of the product, this embodiment requires at least four inspection cameras 3. Each inspection camera 3 is mounted on the frame 1 and is located on the left, right and upper and lower sides of the inspection area, respectively. The inspection area is within the field of view of each inspection camera 3. Furthermore, based on the above, in order to perform visual inspection on more aspects of the product, an inspection camera 3 can be installed at the front of the inspection area, with the lens of the inspection camera 3 facing the inspection area. The rear of the inspection area is the operating station, which can be the operator's station or the place where the robotic arm is placed, facilitating manual re-confirmation of the product's appearance, or for operators or machines to flip or move the product. Alternatively, inspection cameras 3 can be installed on both the front and rear sides of the inspection area, with the inspection area within the field of view of the front and rear inspection cameras 3, allowing for appearance inspection on all six sides of the product. In particular, the inspection camera 3 located on the lower side of the inspection area can acquire images of the product being tested on the inspection area through a light-transmitting support device.

[0028] In order to achieve the purpose of this application, according to conventional prior art, each detection camera 3 should also be connected to the controller point, which will not be elaborated here.

[0029] To better achieve the purpose of this application, namely, to enhance the visual inspection effect of the inspection camera 3, the frame 1 is also equipped with several light strips 9, which can be LED arrays. The light strips 9 illuminate the inspection area at a low angle. The purpose of setting the low angle of illumination here is to highlight the outline of screws and gaps on the product. Specifically, when the screws or gaps are illuminated at a low angle, shadows will be produced. The specific value of the low angle is that the angle between the illumination angle and the horizontal plane is less than 60 degrees. It also includes several supplementary lights 7, which are LED light panels. The supplementary lights 7 are mounted on the frame and set in front of the lens of one or more inspection cameras 3. Figure 1 In the middle, the supplementary light 7 is installed on the upper and lower sides of the inspection area, and the supplementary light 7 can avoid the through holes of the inspection camera 3.

[0030] Example 2 Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment describes a specific configuration structure of the light-transmitting support device.

[0031] In this embodiment, the light-transmitting support device is stationary. Specifically, the worktable of the frame 1 is provided with light-transmitting holes 4, and a transparent plate 5 is covered on the light-transmitting holes 4, thereby forming a light-transmitting support device. The transparent plate 5 here can be made of materials with high transparency, high hardness, wear resistance and scratch resistance, such as tempered glass and acrylic sheet. Therefore, the positioning device can be a pneumatic finger set on the frame 1, or it can be a positioning protrusion and / or positioning recess 2 set on the transparent plate 5. The product to be tested can be placed manually or mechanically at the positioning device on the transparent plate 5.

[0032] Example 3 Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment describes another specific configuration structure of the light-transmitting support device.

[0033] The light-transmitting device in this embodiment is movable. Specifically, the light-transmitting support device is a belt conveyor 6 or a roller conveyor. Specifically, the belt of the belt conveyor 6 is a transparent belt, and the roller of the roller conveyor is a transparent roller. The transparent belt can be made of thermoplastic polyurethane or high-strength PVC material, and the transparent roller can be made of acrylic or polycarbonate material.

[0034] When the light-transmitting support device is a belt conveyor 6 or a roller conveyor, the positioning device can be either a pneumatic finger mounted on the frame 1 or a control mechanism that controls the stop of the belt conveyor 6 or the roller conveyor.

[0035] Example 4 See appendix Figure 2 Based on the above embodiments, the following further improvements are made to reduce the size of the detection device.

[0036] A reflector 8 is also provided on the lower side of the inspection area. The reflector 8 can be installed on the frame 1. The inspection camera 3 located on the lower side of the inspection area has its field of view reflected by the reflector 8 and then aligned with the inspection area through the light-transmitting support device.

[0037] In particular, when the positioning device is a belt conveyor 6, the reflector and the inspection camera 3 located on the lower side of the inspection area are mounted on the arm plate of the frame 1. Specifically, the arm plate of the frame 1 can extend into the reciprocating belt of the belt conveyor 6, so that the reflector and the inspection camera 3 located on the lower side of the inspection area are located between the reciprocating belt of the belt conveyor 6.

[0038] The following describes a configuration method of this utility model in a real-world production scenario: In this actual production scenario, all inspection cameras 3 are CCD cameras. The inspection cameras 3 located on the left and right sides of the inspection area are used to inspect screws, gaps, etc. on the product; the inspection camera 3 located on the upper side of the inspection area is used to inspect labels, gaps, dirt, etc. on the top surface of the product; the inspection camera 3 located on the lower side of the inspection area is used to inspect labels, gaps, dirt, etc. on the bottom surface of the product; the inspection camera 3 located at the front of the inspection area is used to inspect the serial number, markings, assembly gaps, etc. on the front of the product; the rear of the inspection area is the operating station, which is the operator's workstation.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "、" means "or". For example, A and B can mean A or B. "And" and "or" in this article are merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0040] It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the application are shown in the accompanying drawings; unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed, and is not intended to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations; the scope of this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described application concept; for example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A multi-faceted visual inspection device for product appearance, characterized in that: Including rack (1); A light-transmitting support device is used to support the product being tested. A positioning device is used to position the product to be tested in the testing area on a light-transmitting support device. Multiple inspection cameras (3), at least four inspection cameras (3) are installed on the frame (1) and located on the left, right and upper and lower sides of the inspection area respectively. The inspection area is within the field of view of each inspection camera (3). Among them, the inspection camera (3) located on the lower side of the inspection area collects images of the product under test located on the inspection area through the light-transmitting support device.

2. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The workbench of the frame (1) is provided with light-transmitting holes (4), and a transparent plate (5) covering the light-transmitting holes (4) constitutes a light-transmitting support device; or, The light-transmitting support device is a belt conveyor (6), and the belt of the belt conveyor (6) is a transparent belt; or, The light-transmitting support device is a roller-type production line, and the rollers of the roller-type production line are transparent rollers.

3. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that: When the light-transmitting support device is a transparent plate (5) covering the light-transmitting hole (4); The positioning device is a positioning protrusion and / or positioning recess (2) provided on the transparent plate (5); or, The positioning device is a pneumatic finger set on the frame (1). The pneumatic finger is used to clamp and position the product under test in the testing area. The pneumatic finger is connected to the control air source pipeline.

4. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that: When the light-transmitting support device is a belt conveyor (6) or a roller conveyor; The positioning device is a control mechanism for stopping a belt conveyor (6) or a roller conveyor; or, The positioning device is a pneumatic finger set on the frame (1). The pneumatic finger is used to clamp and position the product under test in the testing area. The pneumatic finger is connected to the control air circuit.

5. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A reflector (8) is also installed on the lower side of the inspection area; The inspection camera (3) located on the lower side of the inspection area has its field of view reflected by the reflector (8) and then aligned with the inspection area through the light-transmitting support device.

6. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that: When the positioning device is a belt conveyor (6); The reflector (8) and the inspection camera (3) located on the lower side of the inspection area are set between the reciprocating belts of the belt conveyor (6).

7. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is also equipped with several light strips (9), which illuminate the inspection area at a low angle.

8. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: An inspection camera (3) is installed at the front of the inspection area, with the lens of the inspection camera (3) facing the inspection area; The operating station is located at the rear of the testing area.

9. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Inspection cameras are installed on both the front and rear sides of the inspection area (3); The inspection area is located within the field of view of the inspection cameras (3) on the front and rear sides.

10. The product appearance multi-faceted visual inspection equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes several supplementary lights (7), which are set in front of the lens of one or more inspection cameras (3).

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