Inspection device

Abstract

To provide an inspection device for inspecting a specimen in which a plurality of sensor units for inspection are arranged, and which is capable of inspecting various specimens including a compact specimen and those in varying other sizes.SOLUTION: An inspection device 1 is designed to inspect a specimen 9 conveyed relatively to a plurality of sensor units 2 for inspection, wherein the plurality of sensor units 2 are arranged in one column or in multiple columns and supported by a support member 3. The support member 3 is pivotable on part of it as a fulcrum so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor units 2 in a plan view is differentiated from the conveyance direction of the specimen 9, and further includes, at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the specimen 9 and sensor units 2A, 2B at both ends in a plan view and at a height between a wave transmission unit 21 and an upper wave receiving unit 22 of the sensor units 2, a shield plate 53 for shielding ultrasonic pulses from the wave transmission unit 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus that inspects an object to be inspected, such as a plate-like structure, for internal defects using non-destructive inspection means, such as an ultrasonic sensor. [Background technology]

[0002] Composite flooring materials are known as plank-like structures processed into planks. Composite flooring materials are constructed by laminating together plywood, particle board, LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber), MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), laminated wood, etc. as the main base layer, and urethane resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, melamine resin, felt, foam layer, waterproof layer, etc. as the surface layer and back layer. Composite flooring materials may have defects (also called punctures) such as peeling and cavities between the layers due to poor adhesion during production, or during the subsequent drying and cutting processes. Planks with such defects may cause problems in terms of appearance and durability, and need to be selected. In addition, plywood, particle board, LVL, MDF, laminated wood, etc., which are the base layers that make up composite flooring, are themselves plank-like structures. For this reason, if these materials have defects such as peeling and cavities during production, they also need to be selected in the same way as above.

[0003] Normally, inspection of internal defects such as peeling of such structures is performed at any stage before product shipment, such as the stage of quality control during manufacturing, so non-destructive inspection means using ultrasound, etc. are used to prevent physical damage or other defects caused by the inspection. As an inspection device using ultrasound, for example, a reflection type device has been proposed that irradiates ultrasound from one side of the target object to be inspected and analyzes the ultrasound reflected from inside the object (Patent Document 1). The inspection device described in Patent Document 1 is a device that detects (inspects) peeling of a composite material in which a thin plate is attached to the surface of a base material by irradiating the test surface with a pulsed laser beam, capturing the ultrasound generated in the composite material by this irradiation with an ultrasound detection laser light source and an interferometer, creating a frequency spectrum with a frequency analyzer based on the output of the interferometer, and detecting the presence or absence of peeling based on the difference in the frequency spectrum.

[0004] As another inspection device using ultrasonic waves, for example, a through-type device has been proposed in which a pair of a transmitter and a receiver are arranged above and below in an opposing manner, an object to be inspected passes between them in a non-contact state, an ultrasonic pulse emitted from the transmitter is received by the receiver after passing through the object to be inspected, and the propagation time and the like are analyzed (Patent Document 2). In the inspection device described in Patent Document 2, pairs of transmitters and receivers (one pair of sensors) are arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the wood laminated board to be inspected, and the document describes that the more pairs there are, the higher the inspection accuracy. As a commercially available product of such a through-type inspection device, for example, there is an inspection device that corresponds to a board width of about 900 mm to 1300 mm and has about 20 to 60 sensor units (sensor diameter about 50 mm) arranged in the width direction of the board. Compared to the reflection type, the through-type inspection device is generally capable of inspecting deep inside a structure, and by arranging them as described above, a wide range of inspection can be performed over almost the entire structure. Considering that sensors need to be placed on both sides (opposite sides) of the target structure, this method is particularly suitable for plate-like structures.

[0005] When using a transmission type ultrasonic inspection device with multiple sensor units arranged, ultrasonic pulses emitted from the transmitters of the sensors located at both ends of the plate-like structure to be inspected may generate diffracted waves that wrap around from the outside. These diffracted waves do not pass through the object to be inspected and are directly received by the paired receiver, which may make the inspection impossible or reduce its accuracy. For this reason, the inspection is performed without placing a sensor unit in a certain range (for example, about the size of one sensor unit) at both ends of the object in the width direction.

[0006] When inspecting plate-like structures that are relatively large in width (e.g., 900 mm or more), even if non-inspection areas without sensors as described above exist at both ends, this is a relatively small area in terms of the overall size of the structure, and rarely poses a major problem.

[0007] To deal with the wraparound of ultrasonic waves around the end of the object to be inspected, there are methods for suppressing the generation of diffracted waves, such as narrowing the inspection area based on the boundary line with the non-bonded area (for example, Patent Document 3), and covering the end of the object to be inspected itself with a shielding material to suppress the generation of diffracted waves (paragraph 0006 of Patent Document 3). There is also a method for reducing the size (diameter) of the sensor unit. However, when the object to be inspected is a relatively large plate-like structure, such methods have not been particularly adopted at present due to the above-mentioned circumstances, the relationship between the increased equipment cost and labor and the effect obtained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-304768 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 6-23738 [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-27012 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] There is an increasing need to inspect board structures smaller than the above sizes (less than 900 mm) such as plywood, particle board, LVL, MDF, laminated lumber, and composite flooring materials using these materials. For example, the width of composite flooring materials according to the Japanese Agricultural Standards is 75 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 150 mm, 222 mm, 240 mm, 300 mm, and 303 mm. The non-inspection areas at both ends become relatively larger as the width decreases, and there is a risk that the accuracy of inspection using a device with the same sensor size (diameter) as before is insufficient for the above types, especially those with a width of 200 mm or less. In addition, in order to provide board materials of higher quality, it is necessary to reliably inspect the very ends even when inspecting board structures with a relatively large width (for example, 900 mm or more).

[0010] Even if measures are taken to prevent the leakage of ultrasonic waves, in the inspection of plate-like structures such as composite flooring materials, a relatively long plate-like structure (for example, 900 mm to 3000 mm) is continuously fed to the sensor unit for peeling inspection, so providing a shielding material at the end of the structure itself is likely to lead to increased costs. In addition, the method of setting the inspection target area may also complicate the system. Furthermore, when the size (diameter) of the sensor unit is reduced, the pitch between the sensor units is narrowed and the number of sensor units required as a whole increases. Therefore, there is a demand for an apparatus that can prevent the leakage of ultrasonic waves with a relatively simple structure without significantly changing the previous configuration of the sensor unit, and that can inspect many objects of different sizes, including small ones.

[0011] Furthermore, when using an inspection device with multiple sensor units arranged, if there are many different sizes (widths) of the objects to be inspected as described above, it is necessary to prepare (1) an independent inspection device for each type of object to be inspected, (2) an inspection device that allows the number of sensor units to be increased or decreased and the position of each sensor unit to be adjusted according to the width of the object to be inspected, or (3) an inspection device that has sensor units arranged to a width that can accommodate the widest object to be inspected and uses all or only some of the sensor units depending on the width of the object to be inspected, etc.

[0012] However, in the case of (1), when it is desired to use the device to inspect a variety of small quantities of plate materials, the cost of the inspection device increases. In the case of (2), it takes time to adjust the number and position of the sensors, which is particularly noticeable when there are a large number of sensor parts. In the case of (3), there is a risk of creating wasted sensor parts that are not used frequently. In either case, when the width of the inspected object is small, there is a risk of the above-mentioned problem of non-inspection areas at both ends occurring. Therefore, there is a demand for a device that does not require the increase or decrease of the number of sensor parts or the adjustment of the position of each sensor part, and that enables the inspection of many objects of different sizes, including small objects, while eliminating wasted sensor parts that do not contribute to the inspection.

[0013] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide an inspection device in which a plurality of sensor units for inspection are arranged to inspect objects, and which is capable of inspecting many objects of different sizes, including small ones. In detail, the present invention aims to provide an inspection device that can suppress the leakage of ultrasonic waves with a relatively simple structure, does not require an increase or decrease in the number of sensor units or adjustment of the positions of the individual sensor units, and can inspect many objects of different sizes, including small ones, while eliminating unnecessary sensor units that do not contribute to the inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The first inspection device of the present invention is an inspection device that inspects an object to be inspected that is transported relative to a plurality of sensor units for inspection, wherein the plurality of sensor units are arranged in one or more rows and supported by a support member, and the support member is rotatable about a part of the support member as a fulcrum so that, in a plan view, the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor units is arranged in a direction different from the transport direction of the object to be inspected.

[0015] Further, each of the sensor units has a pair of transmitting and receiving units, and is an ultrasonic sensor unit that inspects the object to be inspected that is arranged between the transmitting and receiving units, and the support member includes a transmitting unit support member on which the transmitting units of the multiple sensor units are arranged, and a receiving unit support member on which the receiving units of the multiple sensor units are arranged, and the transmitting unit support member and the receiving unit support member are rotated in conjunction with each other so as to overlap in a planar view.

[0016] The support member also has a movable mechanism connected to it for moving the position of a sensor unit at one end of the array of the plurality of sensor units, and the support member has a fixed position of a sensor unit at the other end of the array of the plurality of sensor units, and the support member is rotated around the position of the sensor unit at the other end as the fulcrum by moving the position of the sensor unit at the one end using the movable mechanism.

[0017] The sensor unit at the one end and the sensor unit at the other end are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and are adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and these sensor units in a planar view, and have a shielding means for shielding ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit at an installation position that is at a height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit, and the shielding means outside the sensor unit at the one end moves while maintaining the installation position as the position of the sensor unit is moved.

[0018] The shielding means has a shielding plate, and the shielding plate is installed at an obtuse angle toward the outside of the object to be inspected with respect to the direction from the transmitting section to the receiving section.

[0019] The second inspection device of the present invention is an inspection device that inspects an object to be inspected that is transported relative to a plurality of sensor units for inspection, wherein the plurality of sensor units are supported and arranged in one or more rows, each of the sensor units has a pair of transmitting and receiving units, and is an ultrasonic sensor unit that inspects the object to be inspected and is arranged between the transmitting and receiving units, wherein the sensor unit at one end of the plurality of sensor units and the sensor unit at the other end of the plurality of sensor units are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and have a shielding plate that shields ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and these sensor units in a planar view, and at a height between the transmitting and receiving units.

[0020] In the first or second inspection device of the present invention, the object to be inspected is a plate-like structure. Effect of the Invention

[0021] In the first inspection device of the present invention, a plurality of sensor units are arranged in one or more rows and supported by a support member, and can be rotated around a part as a fulcrum so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor units is arranged in a direction different from the transport direction of the object to be inspected in a plan view, so that the distance between the sensor units located at both ends of the arrangement in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (corresponding to the width of the object to be inspected) can be changed without changing the distance between the sensor units in the arrangement direction. This makes it possible to inspect many objects of different sizes, including small ones, without increasing or decreasing the number of sensor units or adjusting the positions of the individual sensor units, and without using unnecessary sensor units that do not contribute to the inspection.

[0022] In addition, each of the sensor units has a pair of transmitting and receiving units, and is an ultrasonic sensor unit that inspects an object to be inspected that is placed between the transmitting and receiving units.The support members include a transmitting unit support member on which the transmitting units of the multiple sensor units are arranged, and a receiving unit support member on which the receiving units of the multiple sensor units are arranged.The transmitting unit support member and the receiving unit support member are rotated in conjunction so that they overlap in a planar view.Therefore, in the through-type ultrasonic inspection sensor unit, the pair of transmitting and receiving units can be rotated in conjunction without shifting their positions, and the rotation angle (swivel angle) can be adjusted only once, making it easy for the operator to handle.

[0023] The support member also has a movable mechanism that is connected to the support member and moves the position (movable side position) of the sensor part at one end of the multiple sensor parts arranged, and the support member has a fixed position (fixed side position) of the sensor part at the other end of the multiple sensor parts arranged, and by moving the position of the sensor part at one end with the movable mechanism, the support member is rotated around the position of the sensor part at the other end as a fulcrum.Therefore, compared to when the positions of the sensor parts at both ends are movable, the device configuration can be simplified and the width adjustment reference position (fixed side position) is made clear, making it easy for workers to handle.

[0024] In addition, the sensor unit at one end and the sensor unit at the other end of the multiple sensor units arranged are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, are adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and these sensor units in a planar view, and have a shielding means for shielding ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit at an installation position that is at a height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.This makes it possible to suppress the leakage of ultrasonic waves at the widthwise ends of the object to be inspected, making it possible to inspect both widthwise ends of the object to be inspected.

[0025] In addition, the shielding means has a shielding plate which is installed at an obtuse angle toward the outside of the object to be inspected in the direction from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit, so that with a relatively simple structure, ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit can be further prevented from reaching the receiving unit.

[0026] The second inspection device of the present invention is an ultrasonic sensor unit in which a plurality of sensor units are arranged and supported in one or more rows, each of which has a pair of transmitting and receiving units and inspects an object to be inspected that is placed between the transmitting and receiving units, and the sensor unit at one end of the array of the plurality of sensor units and the sensor unit at the other end are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and have a shielding plate that blocks ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and these sensor units in a plan view and at a height between the transmitting and receiving units, so that the leakage of ultrasonic waves can be suppressed with a relatively simple structure, making it possible to inspect many objects of different sizes, including small ones. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view showing an example of an inspection device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a case where the rotation angle is changed in the inspection device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the inspection device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a shielding means in the inspection device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a sensor unit of the inspection device (first) of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a sensor unit of the inspection device (second) of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a sensor unit of a conventional inspection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The inspection device of the present invention is an inspection device that inspects an object to be inspected that is transported relative to a plurality of sensor units for inspection. Here, "the object to be inspected is transported relative to the sensor units" refers to a state in which at least one of the sensor units and the object to be inspected is transported. Note that the transport in the sensor units is an operation different from that caused by the rotation of the support member. The transport means for the sensor units or the object to be inspected is not particularly limited, and a known roller type transport mechanism, belt conveyor type transport mechanism, chain conveyor type transport mechanism, other power type, electric type, or manual movable mechanism, etc. can be appropriately adopted according to the weight and shape of the object to be transported.

[0029] The objects to be inspected by the inspection device of the present invention are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include plate-like structures such as plywood, particle board, LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber), MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), laminated timber, composite flooring materials using these materials, wall materials, ceiling materials, furniture materials, and vehicle interior materials, as well as plate-like or three-dimensional structures made of wood, metal, resin, ceramic, etc.

[0030] The sensor unit of the inspection device of the present invention can be any known sensor unit as long as it can be arranged and used (sensor array). Examples include a transmission or reflection type ultrasonic sensor, a radiation transmission sensor, and an image inspection sensor. It is preferable to use a transmission type ultrasonic sensor, which has been used in the past to inspect plate-like structures, is capable of inspecting internal defects (punctures) such as peeling and cavities in the structure, does not require special skilled personnel, and is excellent in workability.

[0031] The inspection device of the present invention has two configurations: (1) a configuration (first inspection device) in which a plurality of sensor units are arranged in one or more rows and supported by a support member, and this support member can be rotated around a portion of the support member as a fulcrum so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor units is arranged in a direction different from the transport direction of the object to be inspected in a planar view. (2) a configuration (second inspection device) in which a through-transmission type ultrasonic sensor unit is used in which a plurality of sensor units are arranged and supported in one or more rows, and a shielding means (shielding plate) for shielding ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit is provided at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and the sensor units at both ends of the array in a planar view, and at a height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.

[0032] The first inspection device has a rotation mechanism for a support member on which sensor units are arranged, and does not require an increase or decrease in the number of sensor units or adjustment of the positions of the individual sensor units, and has a main objective of inspecting many objects of different sizes, including small objects, while eliminating unnecessary sensor units that do not contribute to the inspection. The second inspection device has shielding plates near both ends of the sensor unit array, and has a main objective of inspecting many objects of different sizes, including small objects, by suppressing the leakage of ultrasonic waves at both ends of the width direction of the object with a relatively simple structure. The inspection device of the present invention needs to have at least the above-mentioned rotation mechanism or shielding means, and may have both.

[0033] An example of the inspection device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1(a) is a plan view of the inspection device when inspecting internal defects (punctures) such as peeling and cavities in composite flooring material. Fig. 1(b) is a front view of Fig. 1(a). Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) are views of the inspection device of Fig. 1 when the rotation angle of the support member is changed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the inspection device of Fig. 1. The inspection devices of Figs. 1 to 3 correspond to the first and second inspection devices of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 2(a), the inspection device 1 inspects an object 9 such as a composite flooring material that is conveyed to a plurality of sensor units 2 for inspection. In the inspection device 1, the sensor units 2 are arranged in a row and supported by a support member 3. The sensor units 2 are ultrasonic sensor units, and nine sets (one set is a pair of a transmitter and a receiver) are arranged. The support member 3 is rotatable around a part of the support member so that the arrangement direction α of the plurality of sensor units 2 is arranged in a direction different from the conveying direction Y of the object 9 in a plan view. In the form of FIG. 1(a), the arrangement direction α is rotated at an angle of about 40° with respect to the conveying direction Y. In the form of FIG. 2(a), the arrangement direction is at a close angle (several degrees) with respect to the conveying direction Y. In this inspection device, the state of FIG. 1(a) is the maximum rotation angle of the support member, and the state of FIG. 2(a) is the minimum rotation angle of the support member.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 1(b) and Fig. 2(b), each of the sensor units 2 has a pair of a transmitting unit 21 and a receiving unit 22, and inspects an object to be inspected 9 arranged between the transmitting unit 21 and the receiving unit 22 of each sensor unit 2. In addition, the support member 3 has a transmitting unit support member 31 on which the transmitting units 21 of each sensor unit 2 are arranged, and a receiving unit support member 32 on which the receiving units 22 of each sensor unit 2 are arranged. The transmitting unit support member 31 and the receiving unit support member 32 are rotated in conjunction with each other so as to overlap (overlap in the vertical direction) in a plan view (see Fig. 1(a) and Fig. 2(a)). By rotating the upper and lower support members in this manner, the positions of the pair of the transmitting unit 21 and the receiving unit 22 can be adjusted without shifting them.

[0036] The number of sensor units 2 (number of sets) is not limited to 9 sets, and can be appropriately set based on the width dimension of the target object 9 to be inspected, the inspection range of one sensor (diameter of the sensor unit), etc. For example, it can be set to 2 to 100 sets, 2 to 60 sets, 2 to 40 sets, 2 to 20 sets, or 2 to 10 sets. The sensor units 2 may be arranged in one row or in multiple rows. When arranged in multiple rows, they may be arranged so that the gaps are filled alternately (staggered arrangement). In the first inspection device of the present invention, the arrangement direction α of the sensor units 2 is rotated to perform substantial pitch adjustment, so that when arranged in multiple rows, it is preferable that the arrangement directions of these sensor units are aligned (parallel).

[0037] The shape of the sensor unit 2 is not particularly limited, but is often circular. The shape of the sensor unit 2 mainly refers to the shape of the ultrasonic emission hole (inspection range). When the shape of the sensor unit 2 is circular, the sensor unit diameter can be set to, for example, 10 to 100 mm, 20 to 80 mm, 30 to 60 mm, etc. The sensor unit intervals within the array of the sensor units 2 can be appropriately set according to the sensor unit diameter, etc. Usually, it is preferable that the sensor units are equally spaced.

[0038] In the case of the first inspection device, since it has a rotation mechanism for the support member 3 on which the sensor units 2 are arranged, the distance between the sensor units at both ends (the distance in the width direction of the object to be inspected 9) as seen in the direction X perpendicular to the transport direction Y varies according to the rotation angle of the support member 3 (sensor unit arrangement), and the sensor unit interval (sensor unit pitch) as seen in this direction X also varies. Even if the sensor unit interval in the above-mentioned array of sensor units 2 is large, the sensor unit pitch as seen in the direction X perpendicular to the transport direction Y becomes closer and more precisely arranged. Moreover, by keeping the sensor unit intervals in the original array equal, the sensor unit pitch as seen in the direction X perpendicular to the transport direction Y after rotation can also be narrowed to equal intervals.

[0039] In the first inspection device, when inspecting objects of different sizes, this rotation mechanism makes it possible to realize an accurate sensor unit pitch without increasing or decreasing the number of sensor units or adjusting the position of each sensor unit. In addition, all sensor units are used for inspection regardless of the rotation angle, so it is possible to eliminate unnecessary sensor units that do not contribute to the inspection. As a result, it is possible to inspect many objects of different sizes, including small ones, with high accuracy.

[0040] The rotation of the support member 3 is realized by the movement of the movable mechanism 4 connected to one end of the support member 3. The movable mechanism 4 moves (displaces) the position of the sensor unit 2B at one end of the array of the multiple sensor units 2 supported by the support member 3. The position of the sensor unit 2B on the support member 3 becomes the connection part with the movable mechanism 4. The support member 3 and the movable mechanism 4 are connected to each other at a connection part so as to be rotatable with the position of the sensor unit 2B as the movable side pivot axis B. When the position of the sensor unit 2B at one end of the support member 3 moves, the position of the sensor unit 2A at the other end is fixed. The position of the sensor unit 2A on the support member 3 becomes the connection part with the fixed member (fixed side guide 6, etc.) side of the inspection device. The support member 3 and the fixed member are connected to each other at a connection part so as to be rotatable with the position of the sensor unit 2A as the fixed side pivot axis A.

[0041] By moving the position of sensor unit 2B with movable mechanism 4, support member 3 rotates around movable-side pivot B at the connection with movable mechanism 4 and around fixed-side pivot A at the connection with the fixed member, while the support member as a whole rotates around the position of sensor unit 2A (fixed-side pivot A) as a fulcrum in a plan view. Movable mechanism 4 is a floating mechanism that can move in the X and Y directions (horizontal directions), and by rotating handle 43, X-direction slide guide 41 and Y-direction slide guide 42 move the position of sensor unit 2B so that support member 3 moves followingly by drawing an arc.

[0042] The movable side guide 7 is disposed parallel to the fixed side guide 6. The movable side guide 7 guides the transported object 9 between the movable side guide 7 and the fixed side guide 6. Here, the movable side guide 7 is fixed to a movable part of the movable mechanism 4. The movable side guide 7 is movable only in the X direction (direction perpendicular to the transport direction Y) and the Y direction (transport direction Y) by the movement of the X direction slide guide 41 and the Y direction slide guide 42. Therefore, when the support member 3 is moved by the movable mechanism 4 so as to draw an arc, the movable side guide 7 moves in parallel while maintaining its parallelism with the fixed side guide 6. The distance between the movable side guide 7 and the fixed side guide 6 corresponds to the width of the object 9 to be inspected. By setting an indicator (not shown) so that this distance is equal to the width of the object 9 to be inspected, the position can be easily adjusted by the movable mechanism 4.

[0043] The configuration of the movable mechanism 4 is not limited thereto, and any mechanism can be adopted as long as it is a means capable of moving the position of the sensor unit so that the support member 3 draws an arc. For example, a mechanism using an electric actuator can also be adopted. In addition, in the embodiment shown in each figure, one side of the support member is fixed and the other side is movable, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a method in which separate operating means are provided on both sides of the support member may be adopted. As in the embodiment shown in each figure, it is preferable to fix one end of the support member and move the other end, because this simplifies the device configuration, reduces costs, and makes it easy to adjust the width according to the object to be inspected.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the inspection device 1 is equipped with a front drive device 81 on the entrance side in the conveying direction Y and a rear drive device 82 on the exit side. The inspection object 9 is sandwiched between the conveying rollers 83 of these drive devices and conveyed in the conveying direction Y at a predetermined conveying speed (feed speed). The configuration of the conveying rollers is not particularly limited, but usually, one of the rollers sandwiching the inspection object from above and below is a driving roller and the other is a driven roller. Inspection is performed when the inspection object passes between the wave transmitting unit 21 and the wave receiving unit 22 in the sensor unit 2 while being conveyed. That is, an ultrasonic pulse emitted from the wave transmitting unit 21 is received by the wave receiving unit 22 after passing through the inspection object 9, and the inspection is performed by analyzing the propagation time and the like in an analysis unit (not shown).

[0045] In detail, the procedure is as follows. The wave transmitting unit 21 has an oscillator circuit that generates a transmission pulse and a timing circuit that generates a control pulse, and the transmission pulse is power amplified and emitted as an ultrasonic pulse. The ultrasonic pulse is emitted at a predetermined inspection period. The wave receiving unit 22 receives the ultrasonic pulse that has passed through the inspection object 9, and then in the analysis unit, detects the propagation time, etc. through an RF amplifier circuit, a detection amplifier circuit, etc., and inspects for internal defects (punctures) based on the relationship with the set values ​​of the propagation time, etc. The inspection accuracy in the transport direction Y of the inspection object is ensured by adjusting the inspection range of one sensor (sensor diameter, etc.), the transport speed, and the inspection period.

[0046] 1 and 2, the inspection device 1 has a fixed-side shielding means 51 and a movable-side shielding means 52 as shielding means. The shielding means is a means for suppressing and blocking the wraparound of ultrasonic waves to prevent diffracted waves that go around the outside of the object 9 from ultrasonic pulses emitted from the wave-transmitting section 21 of the sensor section 2 at positions corresponding to the ends of the object 9 at both ends of the object 9 and are directly received by the paired wave-receiving section 22 without passing through the object 9. By suppressing the wraparound of the ultrasonic pulses, it becomes possible to inspect both ends of the object in the width direction.

[0047] The fixed-side shielding means 51 is provided at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the sensor unit 2A at the fixed-side end of the arranged sensor units 2 and the object to be inspected 9 in a plan view, and at a height between the wave transmitting unit 21 and the wave receiving unit 22, and is a means for shielding the ultrasonic pulse 22 from the wave transmitting unit 21. Since the sensor unit 2A is on the fixed side and does not move in position (it does rotate on the spot), the fixed-side shielding means 51 is also in a fixed position.

[0048] The movable-side shielding means 52 is provided at an installation position adjacent to the sensor unit 2B at the movable-side end of the arranged sensor unit 2 and the outer side of the object to be inspected 9 in a plan view, and at a height between the wave transmitting unit 21 and the wave receiving unit 22, and is a means for shielding the ultrasonic pulse 22 from the wave transmitting unit 21. Since the position of the sensor unit 2B is movable by the movable mechanism 4, the movable-side shielding means 52 must also move following this. As described above, the movable-side guide 7 is fixed to the movable part of the movable mechanism 4, and moves in parallel while maintaining parallelism with the fixed-side guide 6. By fixing the movable-side shielding means 52 to the movable part of the movable mechanism 4 or the movable-side guide 7, the installation position thereof can be moved while maintaining the positional relationship with the sensor 2B.

[0049] The shielding means will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the shielding means in the inspection device. As shown in FIG. 4, the shielding means 5 is provided at an installation position adjacent to the outside of the sensor unit 2 and the object 9 at the arranged end, and at a height between the transmitting unit 21 and the receiving unit 22. The shielding means 5 has a shielding plate 53 and an adjustment means 54 for adjusting the height and angle. Here, "adjacent to the outside of the sensor unit and the object 9" includes a case where the tip of the shielding plate 53 is positioned so as to slightly overlap or be slightly separated from the outer end of the sensor unit 2 and the outer end of the object 9 in a plan view. In order to further suppress the outward wraparound of the ultrasonic pulse, it is preferable to position the tip of the shielding plate 53 so as to slightly overlap the outer end of the sensor unit 2 and the outer end of the object 9. In this case, the overlap is set to a small range that does not affect the sensor sensitivity, such as only the outer diameter of the sensor housing, so that the tip of the shielding plate 53 does not shield even the ultrasonic pulse that has passed through without any problem. In addition, the "height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit" refers to the height between the lower end of the upper transmitting unit 21 and the upper end of the receiving unit 22, in which the upper transmitting unit 21 and the lower receiving unit 22 are arranged opposite each other without contacting each other.

[0050] Moreover, it is preferable that the angle β of the shielding plate 53 of the shielding means 5 is an obtuse angle (greater than 90°). This angle β is the inclination angle of the shielding plate 53 with respect to the direction (vertical direction) from the wave transmitting unit 21 to the wave receiving unit 22. By setting the angle β to an obtuse angle, it is possible to reflect ultrasonic pulses that try to get around the outside of the object to be inspected 9 in a direction away from the sensor unit. This makes it possible to prevent ultrasonic pulses from the wave transmitting unit 21 from reaching the wave receiving unit 22 with high accuracy. There is no particular upper limit, but it is preferable to set it to about 135° or less.

[0051] The size of the shielding plate 53 of the shielding means 5 will be described. The length of the shielding plate 53 (width in FIG. 4) is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient as long as it is sufficient in terms of durability in use, including other factors such as material and thickness. Here, the sensor units of the inspection device of the present invention are arranged in series, and there is one sensor unit located at the end. Therefore, it is only necessary to prevent the above-mentioned wraparound at the sensor unit located at the end on both the fixed side and the movable side. Therefore, the width (length in the conveying direction) of the shielding plate 53 is sufficient as long as it is a width that can include the diameter of one sensor unit of the sensor unit 2. When the sensor units are arranged in multiple rows and there is not one sensor at the end, or when more reliability is required, the width (length in the conveying direction) of the shielding plate 53 may be larger than the above-mentioned width.

[0052] The material of the shielding plate 53 is not particularly limited as long as it can shield the ultrasonic pulse, and for example, metals such as steel, ceramics, rubber, resin, paper, cloth, and the like can be used.

[0053] Hereinafter, examples of the arrangement of the sensor units in the inspection device of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the sensor units in the inspection device (first) of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the sensor units in the inspection device (second) of the present invention, and Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the sensor units in a conventional inspection device. In these figures, the test object is a composite flooring material (test object 9) after cutting into small pieces, and the width is 303 mm (313 mm before processing) in Figures 6 and 7, and the width is 75 mm (84 mm before processing) - 303 mm (313 mm before processing) in Figure 5. CH1 to CH9 are sensor parts 2, and the shape of the sensor part 2 is circular and the diameter is φ50 mm.

[0054] [Conventional inspection equipment] As shown in Fig. 7, in the conventional sensor units 2, the sensor units 2 are not arranged in a certain range at both ends of the width direction of the object 9 to be inspected, taking into consideration the wraparound of ultrasonic pulses. Therefore, there are non-inspection areas at both ends of the width direction of the object 9 that are not inspected by the sensor units 2. The dimensions of this non-inspection area are about the size of one sensor unit, or about 45 mm. If the conventional sensor units 2 are arranged in a parallel staggered arrangement, the maximum number of channels is 7.

[0055] [Inspection device of the present invention (2)] As shown in Figures 6 and 4 (see only the shielding means), the inspection device (2) of the present invention has a shielding plate 53 that is adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected 9 and the sensor units (CH1 and CH9) at both ends in a plan view, and is inclined at a predetermined angle below the object to be inspected 9, which is located at a height between the transmitting unit 21 and the receiving unit 22. This eliminates non-inspection areas, making it possible to detect punctures at the ends of the material. There is no rotation mechanism in this form. The sensor units 2 can have a maximum of 9CH when arranged in a parallel staggered pattern.

[0056] [Inspection device of the present invention (first)] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the sensor units of the inspection device described in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the inspection device (first) of the present invention has a shielding plate that is adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected 9 and the sensor units 2A and 2B (CH1 and CH9) at both ends in a plan view, and is inclined at a predetermined angle under the object to be inspected 9, which is an installation position at a height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit. In addition, the support member 3 is rotated about the central axis position of the sensor unit 2A in a plan view by moving the position of the sensor unit 2B by a movable mechanism. In the array of the sensor units, the sensor unit intervals are at a constant pitch. Depending on the rotation angle of the support member 3 (sensor unit array), the distance in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (the distance in the width direction of the object to be inspected 9) changes, and the sensor unit pitch in this direction also changes. By rotating the support member 3, it is possible to inspect the object to be inspected 9 with a size of 75 mm to 313 mm by utilizing all the sensor units. The narrower the material width of the test object 9, the narrower the sensor pitch, and the higher the accuracy of puncture detection. Also, since only the rotation of the support member 3 is required, it is extremely easy to set up to various sizes. Furthermore, as in the case of Figure 6, there are no non-inspection areas at either end, so the test object can be inspected up to both ends in the width direction, and it can be applied to smaller plate materials.

[0057] Although the inspection device of the present invention has been specifically described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. [Industrial Applicability]

[0058] The inspection device of the present invention can be used as an inspection device for a wide range of objects to be inspected, regardless of shape or material, such as plate-like structures such as plywood, particle board, LVL, MDF, laminated lumber, composite flooring materials using these materials, wall materials, ceiling materials, furniture materials, and vehicle interior materials, as well as plate-like or three-dimensional structures made of wood, metal, resin, ceramic, etc. In particular, it can be used as a device that can inspect with high accuracy the entire range of many plate-like structures of different sizes, including small ones, which have previously been difficult or compromised to inspect. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Inspection equipment 2 Sensor section 21 Transmitting section 22 Receiver section 3 Supporting member 31 Transmitter support member 32 Receiving unit support member 4 Movable mechanism 41 X-direction slide guide 42 Y-direction slide guide 43 Handle 5 Shielding means 51 Fixed side shielding means 52 Movable side shielding means 53 Shielding plate 54 Adjustment means 6 Fixed side guide 7 Movable guide 8. Conveyor drive unit 81 Front Drive 82 Rear drive unit 83 Conveyor roller 9. Test item (composite flooring material) X: perpendicular to the conveying direction (width direction of the inspected object) Y conveying direction A Fixed side rotating shaft B Movable side rotation axis

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting an object to be inspected which is transported relatively to a plurality of inspection sensor units, the plurality of sensor units are arranged in one or more rows and supported by a support member; The inspection device according to the present invention, characterized in that the support member is rotatable about a portion of the support member as a fulcrum so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of sensor units is arranged in a direction different from the transport direction of the object to be inspected in a plan view.

2. The inspection device described in claim 1, characterized in that each of the sensor units has a pair of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and is an ultrasonic sensor unit that inspects the object to be inspected that is arranged between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit, and the support member includes a transmitting unit support member on which the transmitting units of the multiple sensor units are arranged, and a receiving unit support member on which the receiving units of the multiple sensor units are arranged, and the transmitting unit support member and the receiving unit support member are rotated in conjunction with each other so as to overlap in a planar view.

3. a movable mechanism connected to the support member for moving a position of a sensor unit at one end of the array of the plurality of sensor units; 3. The inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the position of the sensor unit at the other end of the arrangement among the plurality of sensor units is fixed, and the support member is rotated around the position of the sensor unit at the other end as the fulcrum by moving the position of the sensor unit at the one end using the movable mechanism.

4. the sensor unit at the one end and the sensor unit at the other end are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, a shielding means for shielding an ultrasonic pulse from the wave transmitting unit, the shielding means being disposed adjacent to the outer side of the object to be inspected and the sensor units in a plan view and at a height between the wave transmitting unit and the wave receiving unit; 4. The inspection device according to claim 3, wherein the shielding means on the outer side of the sensor unit at one end portion moves while maintaining the installed position as the position of the sensor unit is changed.

5. The shielding means includes a shielding plate, 5. The inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the shielding plate is disposed at an obtuse angle toward an outer side of the object to be inspected with respect to a direction from the transmitting section to the receiving section.

6. An inspection apparatus for inspecting an object to be inspected which is transported relatively to a plurality of inspection sensor units, The plurality of sensor units are arranged and supported in one or more rows, Each of the sensor units is an ultrasonic sensor unit having a pair of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and inspecting the object to be inspected that is disposed between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit, an inspection device characterized in that a sensor unit at one end of the array of the plurality of sensor units and a sensor unit at the other end of the array of the plurality of sensor units are located at both ends of the width of the object to be inspected in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, the sensor unit is adjacent to the outside of the object to be inspected and these sensor units in a planar view, and has a shielding plate that blocks ultrasonic pulses from the transmitting unit at an installation position that is at a height between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.

7. 7. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be inspected is a plate-like structure.

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