X-ray inspection system, bag breaking system, and crushing system

Abstract

To make it possible to confirm whether lithium ions are contained in an article aggregate even if there is a height restriction in an inspection room.SOLUTION: There is provided an X-ray inspection system 100 for inspecting whether a lithium-ion secondary battery is contained in an article aggregate to be inspected. The size of the article aggregate is at least 80 cm in length, width, and height, respectively. The X-ray inspection system 100 includes an inspection room 20 for inspecting the article aggregate, one or more X-ray sources 26 that irradiate the article aggregate with X-rays from the inside of the inspection room 20, and one or more X-ray sensors 28 that detect X-rays with which the article aggregate has been irradiated. An irradiation range of the one or more X-ray sources 26 is set to a range that can irradiate the entire article aggregate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an X-ray inspection system, a bag-breaking system, and a crushing system capable of inspecting articles. [Background technology]

[0002] When disposing of collected garbage bags, the bags are torn, the garbage inside is taken out, and the garbage is separated from the garbage bags. A bag-breaking machine is used to break the garbage bags (JP Patent Publication 2006-218468). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-218468 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If lithium ion secondary batteries are mixed in with the garbage in a garbage bag and put into a bag-breaking machine, there is a risk of explosion, so it is necessary to check for the presence of lithium ion secondary batteries before putting them into the bag-breaking machine, but it has not been possible to automatically check bags that contain lithium ion secondary batteries. Also, there have been no attempts to check for lithium ion secondary batteries in large collections such as exposed collections of items or collections of items in bags. However, it is considered significant to be able to detect lithium ion secondary batteries from the perspective of safety in the recycling process of collections of items.

[0005] In addition, when garbage and recyclable materials are transported individually on a conveyor, automatically identifying lithium-ion batteries and devices that contain lithium-ion batteries will be useful for processing operations.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray inspection system, a bag breaking system, and a crushing system that are capable of inspecting for the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries in an article collection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inspection system of the present invention comprises: An X-ray inspection system for inspecting a collection of items to be inspected for the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising: The size of the collection of articles is 80 cm or more in each of length, width and height, an inspection chamber for inspecting the collection of articles; one or more x-ray sources for directing x-rays at the collection of articles; one or more x-ray sensors for detecting x-rays irradiated onto the collection of articles in the inspection chamber; The irradiation range of the one or more X-ray sources is set to a range capable of irradiating the entire collection of articles.

[0008] In the present invention, the angle of the irradiation range of the X-ray source can be set within a range of 70 to 90 degrees.

[0009] In the present invention, the irradiation range of the X-ray source can be set so that the collection of articles falls within a space irradiated by X-rays.

[0010] In the present invention, the X-ray source may be multiple, and the angles of the irradiation ranges of the multiple X-ray sources may each be within a range of 30 to 60 degrees.

[0011] In the present invention, a transport path for transporting the collection of articles may be included, and the plurality of X-ray sensors may be provided below the transport path and aligned in a width direction in the transport direction of the transport path.

[0012] In the present invention, the plurality of X-ray sensors may be arranged side by side and shifted in the transport direction of the transport path.

[0013] In the present invention, when there is an overlapping region between an X-ray image from one X-ray sensor and an X-ray image from another X-ray sensor, a processing unit can be included that removes the image of the overlapping region from the X-ray image from the one X-ray sensor.

[0014] In the present invention, the X-ray sensor may be a line sensor.

[0015] In the present invention, a tunnel introduction section for introducing the collection of articles into the inspection chamber may be included. The inventors of the present application found a problem that when a shielding curtain is provided at the entrance of an X-ray inspection room, a light collection of objects may not be able to pass through the shielding curtain due to its weight, and discovered that an X-ray inspection system can be realized without a shielding curtain or with a thin shielding curtain by providing a tunnel entrance. Conversely, if the collection of objects is heavy, the weight and size of the shielding curtain may place a strain on the shielding curtain, causing it to wear out quickly. By adopting a configuration in which no shielding curtain is provided when the collection of objects is heavy, the problem of the shielding curtain quickly wearing out and increasing costs can be avoided.

[0016] In the present invention, when X-rays leak from the tunnel entrance, the amount of leaked X-rays can be 1 μSv / hour or less.

[0017] In the present invention, the X-ray source may be located at a position higher than the ceiling of the tunnel entrance.

[0018] In the present invention, a first determination unit for determining the presence or absence of the lithium ion secondary battery is included. fruit, The first determination unit can determine the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery based on at least the shape and X-ray absorption rate of the article.

[0019] In the present invention, the first judgment unit makes a judgment based on a judgment algorithm or a classifier, and may include a first learning unit that trains the judgment algorithm or the classifier.

[0020] In the present invention, an assembly of items containing lithium ion secondary batteries is subjected to X-rays that penetrate the assembly, and the presence or absence of the lithium ion secondary batteries is inspected based on the transmitted X-rays, and the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries can be determined based on at least the shape and X-ray absorption rate of the items in the assembly.

[0021] In the present invention, the X-ray tube voltage of the X-ray source may be in the range of 30 to 80 kV.

[0022] The bag rupture system of the present invention includes the X-ray inspection system of the present invention, The collection of articles is placed in a bag; In the X-ray inspection system, bags containing collections of articles that are determined not to contain lithium ion secondary batteries are supplied to a bag breaker. Considering that lithium ion secondary batteries are mixed in with the group of items, garbage bags are sometimes torn by hand without being put through a bag-breaking machine. Even if lithium ion secondary batteries or devices containing lithium ion secondary batteries are present in the garbage, a bag-breaking system can be provided that determines whether or not lithium ion secondary batteries are present before putting the garbage through the bag-breaking machine, and bags that do not contain lithium ion secondary batteries are broken by the bag-breaking machine, and bags that contain lithium ion secondary batteries can be broken by hand.

[0023] The crushing system of the present invention includes the X-ray inspection system of the present invention, and supplies an article collection determined by the X-ray inspection system not to contain a lithium ion secondary battery to a crusher. If a lithium-ion secondary battery is introduced into a crusher, the lithium-ion secondary battery may explode inside the crusher. Even if a lithium-ion secondary battery or a device containing a lithium-ion secondary battery gets mixed up into the crushing system, the lithium-ion secondary battery can be recovered before entering the crusher.

[0024] In this specification, "A to B" means A or more and B or less. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of lithium ions in the largest bale, which has not been possible until now. According to the present invention, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of lithium ions contained in a collection of articles even if there is a limit to the height of the inspection room. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an X-ray inspection system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an X-ray inspection system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an X-ray inspection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an X-ray inspection system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of a bag breaking system according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an X-ray inspection device applied to the inspection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an example of a bag-breaking system according to an embodiment, in which (A) is a top view of the bag-breaking system, (B) is a side view of the bag-breaking system, and (C) is a side view of a bag-breaking system different from that of (B). [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a bag breaking system according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows an example of an article and an X-ray image. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of an inspection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a crushing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the flow from bale production to shipping. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail.

[0028] 1. Basic configuration of X-ray inspection system 1, the X-ray inspection system 100 is for inspecting the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries in a collection of articles 22 to be inspected. The X-ray inspection system 100 includes an inspection room 20 for inspecting the collection of articles 22, one or more X-ray sources 26 that irradiate X-rays from within the inspection room 20 toward the collection of articles 22, and one or more X-ray sensors 28 that are provided in the inspection room 20 under a conveying path along which the articles pass and that detect the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray source 26.

[0029] The examination room 20 is made of a material having a shielding function against X-rays, and is not particularly limited as long as it is large enough to accommodate the collection of articles 22. The height of the ceiling of the examination room 20 depends on the size of the collection of articles 22, but can be, for example, 150 to 200 cm with the transport path 16 as the reference.

[0030] The size of the collection of articles 22 is 80 cm or more in each of length, width and height. The collection of articles 22 can be, for example, a collection of articles 22 of the same or similar materials that have been separated, or a collection of the same or similar or different articles that have been tied up. The size of the collection of articles 22 can be, for example, 130 cm or less. The collection of articles 22 can be put into a bag. In the current practice of bundling separated articles into large lumps, the collection of articles 22 can be, for example, a collection of separated PET bottles and plastic waste, a so-called bale. Baling is done, for example, to meet the requirements of items conforming to the separation standards.

[0031] The irradiation range of one or more X-ray sources 26 is set to a range that can irradiate the entire collection of articles 22. The angle of the irradiation range of the X-ray source 26 can be set within a range of 70 to 90 degrees. The range of the irradiation angle can be adjusted by the aperture 26a. The irradiation range of the X-ray source 26 can be set so that the collection of articles 22 is contained within the X-ray irradiation space. A plurality of X-ray sources 26 may be included, and the angles of the irradiation ranges of the plurality of X-ray sources 26 may each be within a range of 30 to 60 degrees. The height of the X-ray source 26 depends on the size of the collection of articles 22, but can be, for example, 150 to 200 cm based on the transport path 16 of the collection of articles 22.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 1, when there is only one X-ray source 26, it can be installed at a height of, for example, 175 cm from the transport path 16. The transport path 16 can be, for example, a conveyor. The aperture 26a can be set so that the X-rays spread at about 80 degrees. In Fig. 1, the transport direction by the transport path 16 is perpendicular to the paper surface.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, when there are two X-ray sources 26, this can be achieved by setting each X-ray source 26 at an irradiation angle of, for example, 45 degrees and installing them at a height of 175 cm from the transport path. In Fig. 3, the transport direction of the transport path 16 is perpendicular to the paper surface. For example, multiple X-ray sources 26 can be arranged in the width direction of the transport direction.

[0034] The conveying path 16 for conveying the collection of articles 22 may be included, and the multiple X-ray sensors 28 may be provided below the conveying path 16 and arranged side by side in the width direction of the conveying path 16. The multiple X-ray sensors 28 may be arranged side by side with a shift in the conveying direction of the conveying path 16. When there is an overlapping area between the X-ray image of one X-ray sensor 28 and the X-ray image of another X-ray sensor 28, an image processing unit 68 may be included that removes the image of the overlapping area from the X-ray image of the one X-ray sensor. The X-ray sensor 28 may be, for example, a line type sensor. Two line type X-ray sensors 28 each having an imaging range of 614.4 mm may be installed below the conveying path 16. The image processing unit 68 may be realized by the information processing device 60.

[0035] 2. Specific examples and application examples of each configuration As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the X-ray inspection system 100 is for inspecting whether or not a collection of articles 22 to be inspected contains a lithium ion secondary battery, and includes an inspection room 20, a tunnel entrance 24 for introducing the collection of articles 22 into the inspection room 20, an X-ray source 26 provided on the ceiling of the inspection room 20, and an X-ray sensor 28 for X-rays provided under the conveying path 16 through which the collection of articles 22 passes in the inspection room 20. The X-ray source 26 can generate X-rays that spread in a quadrangular pyramid shape, for example. The X-ray tube voltage of the X-ray source 26 can be in the range of 30 to 80 kV, for example. The width of the tunnel entrance 24 through which the collection of articles 22 enters and the width inside the inspection room 20 may be the same, or the width of the inspection room 20 may be wider than the width of the tunnel entrance 24.

[0036] The X-ray inspection system 100 may include a first determination unit 64a that determines the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery. The X-ray inspection system 100 may receive X-rays that have passed through the article collection 22, and inspect the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery based on the transmitted X-rays. The X-ray inspection system 100 can determine the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery based on at least the shape and X-ray absorption rate of an article in the article collection 22. Fig. 9 shows an example of the relationship between the article and the shape and X-ray absorption rate of the article.

[0037] The tunnel entrance 24 is for preventing X-rays emitted from the X-ray source 26 from leaking to the outside or for suppressing the amount of X-ray leakage. When X-rays leak from the tunnel entrance, the amount of X-rays leaking is preferably 1 μSv / hour or less. Specifically, the tunnel entrance 24 can be long enough to prevent X-rays from the X-ray source 26 from leaking from the entrance of the tunnel entrance 24. The length of the tunnel entrance 24 depends on the position of the X-ray source 26 and the size of the examination room 20, but for example, when the examination room 20 is about 2 m in size, it can be about 1 m. The X-ray source 26 can be located higher than the ceiling of the tunnel entrance 24. The X-ray source 26 may be provided on the side of the examination room 20. Even in this case, it can be provided at a position where X-rays from the X-ray source 26 do not leak to the outside.

[0038] A tunnel lead-out section 34 for leading out the assembly of objects 22 to be inspected from the inspection room 20 can be provided. The tunnel lead-out section 34 is for preventing X-rays emitted from the X-ray source 26 from leaking to the outside. Specifically, the tunnel lead-out section 34 can have a length such that X-rays from the X-ray source 26 do not leak out from the exit of the tunnel lead-out section 34. The length of the tunnel introduction section 34 depends on the position of the X-ray source 26 and the size of the inspection room 20, but can be about 1 m when the inspection room 20 is about 2 m in size, for example. The X-ray source 26 can be located higher than the ceiling of the tunnel lead-out section 34.

[0039] The X-ray inspection system 100 may include a first learning unit 66a. The first learning unit 66a trains the judgment algorithm or program of the first judgment unit 64a, or a classifier. The first learning unit 66a may use a known machine learning or deep learning method. The classifier may be a support vector machine (SVM), a neural network, or a linear regression model.

[0040] The X-ray inspection system 100 may include a control unit 50 as shown in FIG. 10. The control unit 50 may control the X-ray source 26, the X-ray sensor 28, the ferromagnetic material extraction unit 30 described later, and the transport means. The X-ray inspection system 100 may include an information processing device 60. The information processing device 60 may be incorporated in the control device 50, or may be realized by other hardware resources. The information processing device 60 may be configured, for example, by a CPU or GPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The information processing device 60 may include an input unit 62. The input unit 62 may include a function of inputting basic information for judgment in the first judgment unit 64a and the second judgment unit 64b described later, and a function of inputting teacher data to the first learning unit 66a and the second learning unit 66b described later. For example, the relationship between at least one of the shape and X-ray transmittance obtained from the X-ray image and the article, etc., may be used as teacher data when training the algorithm or the classifier of the first judgment unit 64a and the second judgment unit 64b. The information processing device 60 can be realized by, for example, an electronic calculator or a computer. The first determination unit 64a, the second determination unit 64b, the first learning unit 66a, and the second learning unit 66b are not particularly limited as long as they are arithmetic processing devices.

[0041] 3. X-ray Sensor and Image Processing Concept The image captured by the X-ray sensor 28 can be subjected to image processing, for example, as follows. Two line-type X-ray sensors 28a and 28b, C14300-12u manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics KK, with an imaging range of 614.4 mm, are used to capture an image of a range of about 1228.8 mm. At this time, the width of the housing of the X-ray sensors 28a and 28b containing the light receiving elements 28a1 and 28b1 is larger than the width of the light receiving elements 28a1 and 28b1, so it is not possible to image them side by side without any seams, so they are arranged to be shifted forward and backward in the main scanning direction (transport direction) and imaged. As a result, a time lag occurs in the captured images of the first light receiving element 28a1 and the second light receiving element 28b1, but the original image is obtained by correcting the images with this time lag and synthesizing the two images, and this image is provided to an artificial intelligence (AI) that performs foreign object judgment, making it possible to make a judgment without blind spots. The image processing to correct the time lag can be realized by an image processing IC chip.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 2, the left and right images can be captured using line type X-ray sensor 28a and line type X-ray sensor 28b, respectively. The first direction (main scanning direction) for obtaining a two-dimensional image can be obtained by moving the bale on the conveyor. The second direction (sub-scanning direction) can be obtained by scanning the line type X-ray sensor.

[0043] If the depth of line type X-ray sensors 28a, 28b is 100 mm, and if it is assumed that the size of each light receiving element is 0.4 mm square, line type X-ray sensor 28b acquires a right image that is delayed by 250 scanning lines from line type X-ray sensor 28a. If the moving speed of conveyor path 16 (belt conveyor speed) is 200 mm / min, the imaging time lag between line type X-ray sensor 28a and line type X-ray sensor 28b is approximately 30 msec.

[0044] By using two X-ray sensors, it is possible to inspect a bale that is 110 cm high and 110 cm wide. In addition, compared to scanning an area of ​​about 1230 mm with one X-ray sensor, using two X-ray sensors reduces the scanning area by half, which increases the scanning speed in the sub-scanning direction and allows for an increase in the speed of the inspection line itself. This makes it possible to increase the number of inspections per unit time.

[0045] By reducing the installation height of the X-ray source 26, it is possible to prevent degradation of the X-ray image caused by installing the X-ray source 26 at a high position, to reduce the size of the X-ray irradiation room, and to reduce the amount of lead material or tungsten polymer material used to prevent X-ray leakage.

[0046] 4. Understanding the range of X-ray irradiation When ensuring the irradiation range of a veil that is 110 cm high and 110 cm wide, the irradiation angle of the X-ray source can be widened to about 80 degrees in order to keep the mounting position of the X-ray source low. In a typical X-ray foreign body inspection device, the irradiation angle is thought to be around 40 to 45 degrees, but by widening this to around 80 degrees, the height required for an angle of around 45 degrees, for example, 2.7 m, can be reduced to around 1.75 m.

[0047] In addition, if two X-ray sources with an irradiation angle of about 45 degrees, which is currently widely used, are used, the installation height can be reduced to about 1.75 m. Although there will be areas irradiated by one X-ray source and areas irradiated by two X-ray sources, the linearity of the density is corrected by an image processing IC chip.

[0048] 4.Bag breaking system When the collection of articles 22 is placed in a bag, the bag containing the collection of articles 22 that is determined not to contain a lithium ion secondary battery by the X-ray inspection system can be supplied to a bag breaker.

[0049] 8, the bag-breaking system 110 includes an input conveyor 10, an inspection room 20, a discharge conveyor 12, a distribution section 32, a bag-breaking machine 40, and a sorting system 70. The process flow of the bag-breaking system 110 is as follows.

[0050] A bag containing the collection of articles 22 is placed on the input conveyor 10 and introduced into the tunnel introduction section 24 of the X-ray inspection system 100, and the first judgment unit 64a judges whether or not a lithium ion secondary battery is mixed in. Bags that are discharged from the X-ray inspection system 100 to the discharge conveyor 12 and do not contain a lithium ion secondary battery are automatically transferred to the bag breaker 40 by the inclined conveyor 14 or the like, and are broken by the bag breaker 40. The collection of articles 22 that is broken and comes out of the bag is supplied to the sorting system 70. Bags that are determined by the X-ray inspection system 100 to contain a lithium ion secondary battery are sent by the distribution unit 32 to a manual bag breaking process (B1 in FIG. 5), broken, and supplied to the sorting system 70. Note that the sorting system 70 may be provided with a ferromagnetic material extraction unit 30, and the ferromagnetic material extraction unit 30 may extract bags containing the collection of articles 22 made of ferromagnetic materials.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the discharge conveyor 12 may be arranged to extend in a direction parallel to the input conveyor 10 and the X-ray inspection system 100, or may be arranged to extend in a direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) the direction parallel to the input conveyor 10 and the X-ray inspection system 100.

[0052] The sorting system 70 may include a ferromagnetic material extraction section 30 that extracts items including ferromagnetic materials from the collection of items 22 removed from the bags by the bag breaker 40. The ferromagnetic material extraction section 30 may be configured, for example, by a magnet. This allows the collection of items 22 including metal products (e.g., small iron products) made of ferromagnetic materials to be extracted and collected without manual force. By separating metals before breaking the bags, deterioration of the bag breaker 40 can be suppressed. The sorting system 70 is not limited to the ferromagnetic material extraction section 30, and may be a technology for recovering other metals. Since there is a high probability that small metal objects will be mixed into the collected bags, they may be collected after the bags are broken.

[0053] The information processing device 60 may include a second determination unit 64b that determines whether or not a ferromagnetic material can be extracted by the ferromagnetic material extraction unit 30 based on the shape obtained by the transmitted X-rays detected by the X-ray sensor .

[0054] The inventors of the present application found a problem that if a shielding curtain is provided at the introduction section of the X-ray inspection system 100, the bag cannot pass through the shielding curtain if the bag is light in weight. According to this embodiment, the tunnel introduction section 24 can suppress leakage of X-rays, so that the shielding curtain can be eliminated, or even if a shielding curtain is provided, the shielding curtain can be made thin. Therefore, even if the bag is light in weight, the bag can be reliably introduced into the X-ray inspection system 100. According to this embodiment, even if a shielding curtain is provided, the shielding curtain can be made thin, and the freedom of selection of the shielding curtain can be increased.

[0055] The inventors of the present application also found a problem that if a shielding curtain is provided at the outlet of the X-ray inspection system 100, the bag as a whole is light, and the bag cannot pass through the shielding curtain. According to this embodiment, the X-rays are prevented from leaking from the X-ray source 26 by the shielding curtain, but the tunnel outlet 34 prevents the X-rays from leaking, and therefore the bag can be reliably discharged from the X-ray inspection system 100 even if the bag as a whole is light.

[0056] According to the X-ray inspection system 100 of the present embodiment, bags containing lithium ion secondary batteries can be identified and extracted before the bags enter the bag breaker 40.

[0057] Even if a bag containing a mixture of lithium ion secondary batteries or items containing lithium ion secondary batteries is mistakenly placed in the bag breaking system 100, the bag can be confirmed and captured before the bag breaking machine 40, thereby preventing the lithium ion secondary batteries from exploding inside the bag breaking machine 40.

[0058] According to the bag breaking system 110 of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent ignition and explosion of lithium ion secondary batteries that may occur in the bag breaking machine 40, thereby preventing fire accidents and ensuring the safety of the collection site.

[0059] 5.Crushing system In the X-ray inspection system, the collection of articles 22 that is determined not to contain lithium ion secondary batteries may be supplied to a crusher.

[0060] The X-ray inspection system according to this embodiment does not inspect for the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries in the collection of articles 22 contained in a bag, but can be used to inspect for the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries in the exposed collection of articles 22. Specifically, the X-ray inspection system can be applied to the crushing system shown in Fig. 11, and can be realized as a crushing system that supplies the collection of articles 22 determined by the X-ray inspection system to a crusher 42 so as to not contain lithium ion secondary batteries. Installation of the distribution unit 32 is optional, but by providing the distribution unit 32, it is possible to guide the lithium ion secondary batteries to a route different from the route leading to the crusher 42 in order to collect them.

[0061] In addition to detecting lithium ion secondary batteries or devices containing lithium ion secondary batteries, the X-ray inspection system may also detect devices that do not contain lithium ion secondary batteries, as well as any other specified object, such as a printed circuit board, a guitar effector, or a game controller.

[0062] The crushing system according to the present embodiment can also suppress leakage of X-rays by the tunnel introduction section 24, so that it is possible to eliminate the need for a shielding curtain, or to make the shielding curtain thinner even if one is provided. Therefore, even if the collection of articles 22 is light, it can be reliably introduced into the X-ray inspection system 100.

[0063] 6. Significance of this embodiment There are cases where foreign objects that should not be mixed in the bales of sorted collected materials generated in the process of promoting resource circulation of a series of plastics are mixed in. Among them, lithium ion secondary batteries are particularly dangerous. There are three standard sizes of bales provided by local governments such as cities, towns, and villages: 60cm x 40cm x 30cm (small), 60cm x 40cm x 40cm (medium), and 100cm x 100cm x 100cm (large). In recent years, they have been used as power sources for many plastic products such as smartphones, and have been a cause of explosions and fires in the process of recycling plants. The X-ray system according to the present embodiment is a foreign object inspection device that uses X-ray technology to inspect the presence or absence of foreign objects such as lithium ion secondary batteries in the final process of generating bales from container packaging plastics, product plastics, etc.

[0064] The standard size of a large bale is 100cm x 100cm x 100cm, but in reality, excluding the part fastened with cable ties, it is several tens of centimeters larger than this size, and there was no foreign body inspection device that used X-ray technology that could inspect an object the size of a bale.

[0065] The length of the line-type X-ray sensor used in the conventional X-ray foreign body inspection machine is limited. Therefore, the longest one that is generally said to be about 920 mm, and a bale with an actual width of about 1100 mm is outside the inspection range. In addition, when using an X-ray source with an irradiation angle of about 40 degrees used in the conventional X-ray foreign body inspection machine, if the X-ray source is not installed at a height of 2.7 m or more to inspect a bale with a height of about 110 cm and a width of 110 cm, the bale (large) will be outside the X-ray irradiation range, but since the distance between the X-ray source and the bottom end of the bale becomes long, the X-rays will diffuse, leading to deterioration of image quality. Furthermore, when irradiating from this height, it is necessary to take measures to prevent X-ray leakage over a wider area inside the device. Also, if two X-ray sources with an irradiation angle of about 45 degrees that are currently used are used, the installation height can be kept to about 1.75 m. According to this embodiment, it is possible to check the presence or absence of a lithium-ion battery even if the bale is large. Furthermore, it is significant that it is possible to check the presence or absence of a lithium-ion battery even when the height of the inspection room is limited.

[0066] The X-ray inspection system according to the present embodiment can be used for the bale quality inspection itself, or can be used to check for the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries before the bale is disassembled with a crusher or the like for the quality inspection. By performing inspection with the X-ray inspection system before disassembly for the quality inspection, the safety of the operator disassembling the bale with the crusher can be ensured, and the operator can disassemble the bale and inspect the properties of the bale with peace of mind.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 12, the X-ray inspection system 100 according to this embodiment can be applied to the inspection after the sorted items are usually baled by a compactor. After the inspection, the items are transported and stored in a warehouse and shipped to a recycler.

[0068] The X-ray inspection system 100 according to the present embodiment is also applicable to various moving vehicles such as automobiles.

[0069] Various modifications of this embodiment are possible within the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the X-ray source 26 is provided on the ceiling of the inspection room 20, and the X-ray sensor 28 is provided under the conveying path 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the X-ray source 26 may be provided on one side or lateral surface of the inspection room 20, and the X-ray sensor 28 may be provided on the other side or lateral surface of the inspection room 20. Here, the side or lateral surface of the inspection room 20 refers to a portion or surface of the inspection room 29 on a side of the conveying direction of the collection of articles 22 to be inspected. Alternatively, the X-ray source 26 may be provided at the upper part of one side of the inspection room 20 and the X-ray sensor 28 may be provided below the transport path 16 so that X-rays are emitted at an angle, or the collection of items 22 to be inspected may fall within the X-ray irradiation range of the X-ray source 26 and the X-ray sensor 28 may be provided in such a manner that the X-rays can be detected. The relative positions of the X-ray source 26 and the X-ray sensor 28 are not particularly limited as long as they enable inspection as to whether the collection of items 22 to be inspected contains a lithium-ion secondary battery. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The present invention can be used, for example, as a detection device for checking whether or not lithium ion secondary batteries are mixed in a bale when the recovered plastic resources are baled in a recycling process of recovered plastic resources. When a lithium ion secondary battery is mistakenly mixed in a bale during a disassembly process or the like in a process for reusing bales or quality inspection of bales, the lithium ion secondary battery can be prevented from being destroyed and causing a fire or explosion in advance. The present invention is also useful for industrial waste treatment. The present invention can be used for the quality inspection of bales themselves, or can be used to check for the presence or absence of lithium ion secondary batteries before disassembling the bale with a crusher or the like for quality inspection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 Input conveyor 12 Discharge conveyor 14 Inclined Conveyor 16 Transport Path 20 Examination Room 22 Collection of goods 24 Tunnel Introduction 26 X-ray source 26a Aperture 28 X-ray sensor 28a, 28b X-ray sensor 28a1, 28b1 Photodetector 30 Ferromagnetic material extraction part 32 Distribution section 34 Tunnel exit section 40 Bag breaking machine 42 Crusher 50 Control device 60 Information processing equipment 62 Input section 64a First Judgment 64b Second Judgment 66a First Study Section 66b Second Study Section 68 Image Processing Section 70 Sorting System 100 X-ray inspection system 110 Bag Breaking System

Claims

1. 1. An X-ray inspection system for inspecting a collection of items to be inspected for the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising: The size of the collection of articles is 80 cm or more in each of length, width and height, an inspection chamber for inspecting the collection of articles; one or more x-ray sources for directing x-rays from within the examination chamber toward the collection of articles; and one or more x-ray sensors for detecting x-rays irradiated onto the collection of articles; An X-ray inspection system in which the irradiation range of the one or more X-ray sources is set to a range capable of irradiating the entire collection of items.

2. In claim 1, An X-ray inspection system in which the angle of the irradiation range of the X-ray source is set within the range of 70 to 90 degrees.

3. In claim 1, An X-ray inspection system in which the irradiation range of the X-ray source is set so that the collection of items is contained within an X-ray irradiation space.

4. In claim 1, a plurality of said X-ray sources; An X-ray inspection system, wherein the angles of the irradiation ranges of the multiple X-ray sources are each within the range of 30 to 60 degrees.

5. In claim 1, a conveying path for conveying the article collection; The X-ray inspection system, wherein the plurality of X-ray sensors are provided under the transport path and are arranged side by side in a width direction of the transport path in a transport direction.

6. In claim 5, The X-ray inspection system, wherein the plurality of X-ray sensors are arranged side by side and offset in the transport direction of the transport path.

7. In claim 5, An X-ray inspection system including a processing unit that, when there is an overlapping area between an X-ray image taken by one X-ray sensor and an X-ray image taken by another X-ray sensor, removes an image of the overlapping area from the X-ray image taken by one X-ray sensor.

8. In claim 1, The X-ray inspection system, wherein the X-ray sensor is a line sensor.

9. In claim 1, An x-ray inspection system including a tunnel entry for introducing said collection of articles into said inspection room.

10. In claim 1, An X-ray inspection system in which, when X-rays leak from the tunnel entrance, the amount of leaked X-rays is 1 μSv / hour or less.

11. In claim 9, An X-ray inspection system, wherein the X-ray source is positioned above the ceiling of the tunnel entrance.

12. In claim 1, a first determination unit that determines whether or not the lithium ion secondary battery is present; The first judgment unit is an X-ray inspection system that judges the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery based on at least the shape and X-ray absorption rate of the article.

13. In claim 11, The first determination unit makes a determination based on a determination algorithm or classifier, An X-ray inspection system including a first training unit for training the judgment algorithm or classifier.

14. In claim 1, receiving X-rays that have penetrated an assembly of articles in which lithium ion secondary batteries are mixed, and inspecting for the presence or absence of the lithium ion secondary batteries based on the transmitted X-rays; An X-ray inspection system that determines the presence or absence of a lithium ion secondary battery based on at least the shape and X-ray absorption rate of an item in the collection of items.

15. In claim 1, An X-ray inspection system, wherein the X-ray source has an X-ray tube voltage in the range of 30 to 80 kV.

16. 2. The x-ray inspection system of claim 1, The collection of articles is placed in a bag; A bag-breaking system that supplies a bag containing an assembly of items that is determined not to contain a lithium-ion secondary battery in the X-ray inspection system to a bag-breaking machine.

17. 2. The x-ray inspection system of claim 1, A crushing system that supplies the collection of articles determined not to contain lithium ion secondary batteries in the X-ray inspection system to a crusher.

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