LENS DEVICE

Description

[0001] The object of the present invention is a lens device designed to inspect objects having at least one end surface (for example, the surface of an upper and / or lower wall) and at least one lateral surface, substantially perpendicular to the end surface. The object to be inspected has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0002] The following article describes a lens device to image front and lateral sides of a cylindrical object: ZAV'YALOV P S ET AL: "A dedicated optical system for the quality inspection of cylindrical surfaces", RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING, CONSULTANTS BUREAU. NEW YORK, US, vol. 52, no. 7, 27 September 2016 (2016-09-27), pages 415-420.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to propose a lens device capable of simultaneously inspecting the end surface and the lateral surface of the object.

[0004] Another object of the invention is to provide a very clear and accurate image of the end and lateral surfaces of the object while simultaneously keeping the structure of the lens device simple, sturdy, and therefore reliable.

[0005] Such objects are achieved by a lens device according to claim 1.

[0006] The technical features of the invention according to the aforesaid objects may be clearly found in the contents of the claims hereinbelow and the advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description, made with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one or more embodiments merely given by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lens device according to the invention; Figure 2 is an optical diagram of a lens device according to the invention, in an embodiment; Figure 3 is an optical diagram of a lens device according to the invention, in an alternative embodiment; Figure 4 is an elevation view of an example of object to be inspected; and Figure 4a shows the image provided by the lens device, of the object in Figure 3.

[0007] Possible exemplary embodiments of a lens device according to the invention are indicated, as a whole, in said drawings by 100; 100'.

[0008] In the continuation of the description, elements which are common to the different embodiments of the lens device are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] In a general embodiment, the lens device according to the invention is designed for inspecting an object 1 having at least one end surface 1a, for example a front / upper or rear / lower surface, and at least one lateral surface 1b, substantially orthogonal to the end surface. Within the context of the present disclosure, end surface of the object means a surface which substantially is perpendicular to the optical axis (X) of the lens device.

[0010] The lens device 100; 100' comprises a lens device body 20 which develops along an optical axis (X). The lens device body (20) supports a front optical group 4, a rear optical group 9, a stop 5, and a sensor plane 7.

[0011] The front optical group 4 receives beams R1, R2 from object 1.

[0012] The rear optical group 9 collects the beams R3 originating from the front optical group 4.

[0013] The stop 5 is inserted inside the rear optical group 9.

[0014] The sensor plane 7 which collects the beams R4 projected by the rear optical group 9.

[0015] The front optical group 4 is made up exclusively of refractive lenses and is formed by one or more front lenses 2 configured to receive beams both from an end surface 1a of the object (beams R1), which is perpendicular to the optical axis (X), and from one or more lateral surfaces 1b of object 1 (beams R2), which substantially are parallel to the optical axis (X), and by one or more converging lenses 3 arranged behind the at least one front lens 2 and suitable to focus the beams received from the at least one front lens 2 towards the rear optical group 9.

[0016] The front optical group 4 is configured so that the entrance pupil is external to the lens device. The result is that the objects the furthest from the lens device are enlarged more than those closest to the lens device.

[0017] The rear optical group 9 allows the beams originating from various angles captured by the front optical group 4 to be collected and projected over the largest area possible on the sensor plane 7.

[0018] In an embodiment, the front optical group 4 is configured so that object 1 to be inspected is between the entrance pupil and the front optical group 4. Here, the lens device is also called pericentric and allows the outer lateral surfaces of an object 1 to be inspected.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the front optical group 4 is configured so that the entrance pupil is between the object to be inspected and the front optical group 4. Here, reference is made to hypercentric lens and the image projected onto the sensor is the one of the inner lateral surfaces of the object. In this configuration for example, inspecting the bottom surface of a cavity is possible. This operating mode is achieved by modifying the internal optics and / or operating distance used.

[0020] In an embodiment, the front optical group 4 comprises three converging lenses 3a, 3b and 3c, for example flat-convex lenses.

[0021] For example, two front converging lenses 3a, 3b have the convexity facing the back and the third converging lens 3c has the convexity facing the front.

[0022] In an embodiment, the front optical group 4 has a double-convex front lens 2.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment, at least some of the optical elements 2, 3 of the front optical group 4 is made up of doublets for correcting the chromatic aberrations.

[0024] Certain embodiments of the lens device with various focusing methods are now described.

[0025] The focusing procedure is performed to obtain the best results according to the object to be inspected.

[0026] "Focusing" means having the maximum possible definition of the image projected onto the sensor plane 7. This position is highly dependent on the size of the object and the observation distance. According to the optical and / or mechanical configuration, the following procedures can be implemented in the lens device: Manual focusing. Here, the focusing is performed by modifying the distance of the sensor plane 7 with respect to the whole system. Usually, spacers in the sensor assembly mechanics are inserted or removed to bring the plane closer or move it away. Mechanical focusing. Here, the distance between the sensor and the whole optical system is carried out by means of a mechanical mechanism capable of varying the position of the rear optical group 9 or of stop 5 with respect to the sensor plane 7. Focusing by means of adaptive lens 8, as shown in the optical diagram in Figure 3. An adaptive lens 8 is inserted, which is capable of modifying the shape of one of the surfaces thereof by applying an electric current. This mechanism can be controlled via software to perform focusing by means of artificial vision algorithms. The best position of the adaptive element depends on the features of the front 4 and rear 9 optical system. The advantage of this implementation lies in being able to vary the specifications of the lens device within certain limits without resorting to further optical or mechanical additions, and especially without performance worsening.

[0027] Therefore, in an embodiment, the lens device comprises adjustment means of the position of the sensor plane 7 along the optical axis (X) in order to manually focus the lens device.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the lens device is provided with adjustment means of the position of the ocular optics 6 along the optical axis (X) in order to mechanically focus the lens device.

[0029] In a further alternative embodiment, the lens device is provided with an adaptive lens 8 which is electrically controllable to adjust the focusing of the lens device.

[0030] The lens device according to the invention operates at an operating distance from the object which depends on the acceptance size of the lens device, in particular length and diameter. If the object is at the correct operating distance, the lens device projects the front and lateral surface thereof onto the image sensor, as shown in Figures 4 and 4a. The advantage of this lens device with respect to multi-camera systems is the possibility of using a single optics to obtain several views of an object to be controlled, making the inspection easier and less costly. Moreover, there is no need for any perspective correction required by multi-camera systems.

[0031] Therefore, there is no need for multiple cameras positioned around and above the object. The image analysis is very quick because there is no need for any image-matching software since the image acquired is continuous rather than segmented.

[0032] There is no perspective effect which is typical of multi-camera systems.

[0033] The objects inspected may slide easily below the lens device.

[0034] Therefore, the invention thus conceived achieves the preset objects.

[0035] Obviously, the practical embodiment thereof may also take on other shapes and configurations than that shown above without departing from the present scope of protection. as defined by the independent claim.

[0036] Moreover, all details may be replaced by technically equivalent elements, and any size, shape and material may be used according to the needs.

Claims

1. A lens device for inspecting an object having at least one end surface (1a) and at least one lateral surface (1b), substantially orthogonal to the end surface, comprising a lens device body (20) which develops along an optical axis (X) and, carried by the lens device body (20), a front optical group (4), a rear optical group (9) acting as prime lens for collecting the beams originating from the front optical group (4), a stop (5) inserted in the rear optical group (9), and a sensor plane (7) which collects the beams projected by the rear optical group (9), wherein the front group (4) is made up only of refractive lenses and is formed by one or more front lenses (2) configured to receive beams both from an end surface (1a) of the object, which is perpendicular to the optical axis (X), and from one or more lateral surfaces (1b) of the object, which substantially are parallel to the optical axis (X), and by one or more converging lenses (3) arranged behind the at least one front lens (2) and suitable to focus the beams received from the at least one front lens (2) towards the rear optical group (9), the front optical group (4) being configured so that the entrance pupil is external to the lens device, wherein the one or more front lenses (2) of the front optical group (4) is a double-convex front lens (2), wherein the front optical group (4) comprises three converging lenses (3a, 3b, 3c), said three converging lenses (3a, 3b, 3c) being flat-convex lenses.

2. Lens device according to claim 1, wherein the front optical group (4) is configured so that the object to be inspected is between the entrance pupil and the front optical group (4).

3. Lens device according to claim 1, wherein the front optical group (4) is configured so that the entrance pupil is between the object to be inspected and the front optical group (4).

4. Lens device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front optical group has optical elements made up of doublets suitable to correct chromatic aberrations.

5. Lens device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front optical group (4) has two front converging lenses (3a, 3b) with convexity facing the back, and a third converging lens (3c) with convexity facing the front.

6. Lens device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an adaptive lens (8) which is electrically controllable to adjust the focusing of the lens device.

7. Lens device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising adjustment means of the position of the sensor plane (7) along the optical axis (X) in order to manually focus the lens device.

8. Lens device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising adjustment means of the position of the rear optical group (9) along the optical axis (X) in order to mechanically focus the lens device.