Device for inspecting / discharging foreign object in granule

Abstract

To provide technique capable of detecting foreign objects mixed in a granule in a total amount of inspection samples and selecting and discharging the detected foreign objects.SOLUTION: This device for inspecting / discharging a foreign object in a granule comprises: a conveyance belt that conveys the granule at a prescribed speed in a horizontal direction; a hopper disposed above the conveyance belt to store the granule; granule feeding means that is disposed in connection with the lower end opening of the hopper and that drops the granule stored in the hopper on the conveyor belt to feed the granule; imaging means for imaging the granule fed on the conveyance belt from above; foreign object presence / absence determination means for determining the presence / absence of a foreign object on the basis of the imaging result; and foreign object discharge means for discharging the detected foreign object together with the granule near the foreign object from the conveyance belt to the outside. A plurality of hoppers is provided, and an automatic changer is provided for sequentially switching the hoppers to drop the granule on the granule feeding means in the device for inspecting / discharging a foreign object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention is a device for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder and granular materials. Place More specifically, inspection and removal equipment for foreign objects mixed into powders and granules (powders or granular materials) that are products, intermediate products, or raw materials for pharmaceuticals, food, ceramics, etc. Place Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of pharmaceuticals, food, ceramic products, etc., random inspections are routinely conducted to check for the presence of foreign matter in powders and granules as part of quality control during manufacturing.

[0003] As an inspection device for inspecting whether or not foreign matter is mixed into such powder or granular material, for example, there is a foreign matter inspection device as shown in Patent Document 1.

[0004] Specifically, a powder or granular material as a test sample (also called a "specimen" in the case of pharmaceuticals) is placed in a container with an internal lifting member, and the surface of the contained test sample is imaged using optical means such as a color CCD camera, thereby detecting foreign bodies based on differences in brightness, color tone, etc. After the image is captured, the lifting member is raised and the surface of the inspected powder or granular material is scraped off with a scraper, and the newly exposed surface is imaged. By repeating this process in sequence, it is possible to detect foreign bodies over a wide range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3750017 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of the above-mentioned foreign matter inspection device, due to its mechanism, it is difficult to inspect the powder or granular material remaining at the bottom of the container, and it is not possible to inspect the entire amount of the inspection sample.

[0007] In addition, this foreign body inspection device simply inspects whether or not foreign bodies are mixed into powder or granular materials, and does not separate and discard detected foreign bodies. In addition, all test samples after inspection were simply discarded, resulting in a large waste loss.

[0008] Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a foreign matter inspection and removal technology that can detect foreign matter mixed into powder or granular materials throughout the entire amount of a test sample, and can also sort and remove any detected foreign matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into solving the above problems, and have found that the above problems can be solved by the invention described below, thereby completing the present invention.

[0010] The invention described in claim 1 is A conveyor belt that conveys powder or granular material in a horizontal direction at a predetermined speed; a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and configured to accommodate powder and granular material; a powder / granular material supplying means arranged to be connected to a bottom opening of the hopper, the powder / granular material contained in the hopper being dropped onto the conveyor belt to supply the powder / granular material; an imaging means for imaging the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; a foreign object presence / absence determination means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign object based on the imaging result; a foreign object discharge means for discharging the detected foreign object from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign object when the foreign object is detected. 、 A plurality of the hoppers are provided, An autochanger is provided which sequentially switches the hoppers and drops the powder onto the powder supply means. This is an inspection and removal device for foreign matter in powder and granular materials, characterized by the above.

[0011] The invention described in claim 2 is The powder / granular material supplying means The roller is disposed below the hopper and has a plurality of grooves formed therein in the axial direction. The device for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material as described in claim 1 is characterized in that it is configured to rotate the roller to cause a predetermined amount of the powder or granular material supplied from the hopper to fall onto the conveying belt.

[0012] The invention described in claim 3 is The apparatus for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material as described in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that it is provided with a thin layer forming means for forming the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveying belt into a thin layer of a predetermined thickness.

[0013] The invention described in claim 4 is The thin layer forming means is A cylindrical roller is provided above the conveyor belt with a predetermined clearance, The device for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material as described in claim 3 is characterized in that the powder or granular material transported by the conveying belt is formed into a thin layer by rotating and pressing the cylindrical roller.

[0014] The invention described in claim 5 is The imaging means, The apparatus for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is equipped with a dome lighting device that illuminates the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveying belt with light from all directions.

[0015] The invention described in claim 6 is The foreign matter discharge means is A suction duct is provided above the conveyor belt, The inspection and discharge device for foreign matter in powder or granular material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the suction duct is configured to suck in the detected foreign matter together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter and discharge it outside the system. 。 Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to detect foreign matter mixed into powder or granular material across the entire amount of a test sample, and it is also possible to provide a foreign matter inspection and removal technology that can sort and remove any detected foreign matter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view of a main part of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating supply of powder or granular material by a powder or granular material supplying means. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an arrangement of grooves in a rotor of a powder / granular material supplying means. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a thin layer of supply granular material formed on a conveyor belt. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic front view illustrating the overall configuration of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of a powder or granular material supplying device of a foreign matter inspection and discharge apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic front view of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 8 is a schematic front view of a main part of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment.

[0019] [1] Basic concept of the present invention First, the basic concept of the present invention will be described.

[0020] The inspection and discharge device for foreign bodies in powder and granular materials of the present invention comprises: (1) a conveyor belt that conveys the powder and granular materials horizontally at a predetermined speed; (2) a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and containing the powder and granular materials to be inspected; (3) a powder and granular material supplying means disposed and connected to the lower opening of the hopper and supplying a predetermined amount of the powder and granular materials contained in the hopper by dropping them onto the conveyor belt; (4) an imaging means that images the powder and granular materials supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; (5) a foreign body presence / absence determining means that determines the presence or absence of a foreign body based on the imaging results; and (6) a foreign body discharge means that, if a foreign body is detected, discharges the detected foreign body from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder and granular materials near the foreign body.

[0021] The method for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0022] (1) Powder supply process: A process in which powder stored in a designated container is dropped onto a conveyor belt. (2) Imaging process: A process of imaging the powder or granular material fed onto the conveyor belt from above. (3) Foreign object presence / absence determination process: A process for determining the presence / absence of a foreign object based on the imaging results. (4) Foreign object discharge process: When a foreign object is detected, the process of discharging the detected foreign object from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign object.

[0023] By using the above-mentioned device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material, a predetermined amount of powder or granular material is dropped and supplied onto a conveyor belt as described above, and imaging the amount of powder or granular material from above the conveyor belt, the presence or absence of foreign matter can be determined based on the difference between the light reaching the imaging means from powder or granular material containing foreign matter and the light reaching the imaging means from powder or granular material not containing foreign matter.

[0024] Furthermore, in the present invention, the powder or granular material is supplied by dropping it successively onto a conveyor belt and inspection is performed on the conveyor belt. Therefore, unlike the conventional inspection described above, in which the surface of the inspection sample contained in a container having a lifting member inside is successively scraped off and photographed to inspect for the presence or absence of foreign matter, no uninspected powder or granular material is left at the bottom of the container, and foreign matter can be detected throughout the entire amount of powder or granular material to be inspected.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present invention, if a foreign object is detected, the detected foreign object is discharged from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with any powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign object. This allows the detected foreign object to be selected and its material, etc., identified, and this can be reflected in subsequent quality control.

[0026] [2] Specific embodiments The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0027] 1. First embodiment (1) Main parts of the foreign object inspection and removal device according to the present embodiment First, the main components of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of the main parts of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. In Fig. 1, 1 is the foreign matter inspection and discharge device, 11 is a hopper, 12 is powder / granular material supplying means, 13 is a conveyor belt, 14 is a thin layer forming means, 15 is an imaging means, 16 is a foreign matter discharge means, and 17 is an inspected powder / granular material recovery section. And P is the powder / granular material to be inspected (inspection sample).

[0029] (a) Hopper The hopper 11 is a container that contains powdered or granular material P to be inspected, and includes a main body portion 11a and a shooter portion 11b, as shown in Fig. 1. The main body portion 11a is detachably attached to the upper side of a casing 12a of the powdered or granular material supplying means 12, and the lower end of the main body portion 11a is connected to the upper end of the shooter portion 11b. The shooter portion 11b is disposed at the upper portion of the casing 12a, and the powdered or granular material P is supplied to the powdered or granular material supplying means 12 from the lower end opening of the shooter portion 11b.

[0030] (b) Powder supply means The powder / granular material supplying means 12 supplies the powder / granular material P, which is supplied via the lower end opening of the chute section 11b, by dropping it onto the conveyor belt 13 in predetermined amounts.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the supply of powder P by the powder supplying means 12. As shown in Fig. 2, a cylindrical rotor 12b is disposed in the lower part of the casing 12a so as to contact the lower end opening of the shooter section 11b.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of grooves 12c having a constant length and depth in the axial direction are provided at equal intervals on the peripheral surface of the rotor 12b. The rotor 12b rotates in the direction of the arrow at a predetermined speed. The lower side of the rotor 12b is open, and a predetermined gap is provided between the peripheral surface and the upper surface of the conveyor belt 13.

[0033] The powder P contained in the hopper 11 is supplied to the groove 12c of the rotor 12b via the lower end opening of the chute section 11b. The powder P supplied to the groove 12c then gradually falls from the groove 12c as the rotor 12b rotates. At this time, the grooves 12c are provided at predetermined intervals on the circumferential surface of the rotor, so that the powder P is supplied intermittently onto the conveyor belt 13.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of grooves in rotor 12b, and shows a part of the circumferential surface developed into a plane. In Fig. 3, the bidirectional arrow indicates the axial direction of rotor 12b. As shown in Fig. 3, grooves 12c are formed in the axial direction of rotor 12b, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal direction of rotor 12b, and multiple grooves 12c are formed at equal intervals over the entire circumferential surface of rotor 12b.

[0035] The grooves 12c each have a uniform cross-sectional shape and are formed with a constant area and volume. The cross-sectional shape of the grooves 12c is not particularly limited, but a shape having a smooth curved surface without corners, such as a semicircular or semi-elliptical shape, is preferable so that the powder or granular material P does not remain in the grooves 12c. The intervals and volumes of the grooves 12c are appropriately set in consideration of the spread of the powder or granular material P when it is supplied onto the conveyor belt 13, the supply amount, and the like.

[0036] By dropping and supplying the powder or granular material P onto the conveyor belt 13 through such a rotor 12b, a thin layer (hereinafter simply referred to as a "thin layer") Pl of the powder or granular material P can be formed at equal intervals on the conveyor belt 13, as shown in Figure 4.

[0037] The powder / granular material supplying means 12 is provided with a rotation speed adjusting mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor 12b. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the rotation speed of the rotor 12b so that the powder / granular material P is filled from the shooter portion 11b into the groove 12c without any gaps and gradually falls from the groove 12c, even if various properties such as fluidity differ depending on the powder / granular material.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the grooves provided in rotor 12b are formed parallel to the axial direction, but the grooves may be slightly inclined from one end to the other end in the axial direction.

[0039] In addition, in the case of normal foreign body inspection, the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 13 is preferably about 3 m / min.

[0040] In addition, the casing 12a and the rotor 12b of the powder / granular material supplying means 12 are preferably made of metal to prevent static electricity buildup, and among these, aluminum is preferred for its excellent corrosion resistance and workability. In addition, in order to prevent static electricity buildup including the conveyor belt 13, it is preferable to appropriately install an ionizer or the like.

[0041] (c) Thin layer forming means As described above, the powder P supplied onto the conveyor belt 13 forms a thin layer Pl. At this time, the thickness of the thin layer Pl can be appropriately controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor 12b and the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 13 according to the particle size and fluidity of the powder, but it is not easy to adjust these speeds for each powder.

[0042] During the inspection, it is necessary to adjust the thickness of the thin layer Pl so that the foreign matter is not embedded inside the thin layer Pl. Specifically, since the foreign matter inspection and removal device according to the present embodiment is generally used to detect foreign matter having a size of about 50 μm, it is necessary to make the thickness thin to the order of microns.

[0043] In addition, it is necessary to make the thickness of the thin layer Pl as uniform as possible. If the thickness of the thin layer Pl varies, the reflection from the thin layer Pl will also vary and be captured by the imaging means, which may result in erroneous detection of a foreign object.

[0044] Therefore, as in this embodiment, in order to form a thin layer Pl of uniform thickness before imaging, it is preferable to provide a thin layer forming means 14 as shown in Fig. 1. This allows the thickness to be thinned to about 50 µm, and also allows the thin layer Pl of uniform thickness with a smooth surface to be continuously formed, allowing foreign matter to be detected with high accuracy.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thin layer forming means 14 includes a cylindrical leveling roller 14a, a clearance adjustment mechanism 14b, a powder guide 14c, and a scraper 14d.

[0046] The smoothing roller 14a is supported by a rotary drive device (not shown). The rotary drive device is supported by a clearance adjustment mechanism 14b and moves up and down as shown by the vertical bidirectional arrow in FIG. 1. This makes it possible to adjust the size of the clearance between the smoothing roller 14a and the conveyor belt 13. Meanwhile, the conveyor belt 13 is supported at its lower side by a conveyor belt support plate 13a so as not to bend. As a result, the adjusted clearance can be accurately maintained and the powder P can be sent to the imaging means with a uniform thickness.

[0047] For example, when the size of the foreign matter exceeds 50 μm, the clearance is preferably set to about 60 to 100 μm. However, in order to accommodate foreign matter of various sizes, it is preferable to be able to set the clearance to about 0 to 3 mm.

[0048] The powder guide 14c is installed upstream of the smoothing roller 14a and regulates the width of the thin layer Pl. The scraper 14d removes powder adhering to the surface of the smoothing roller 14a. This allows the thickness and width of the thin layer Pl to be appropriately controlled, enabling inspection with high accuracy.

[0049] In this embodiment, it is preferable to rotate the smoothing roller 14a in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the thin layer Pl. This makes it possible to control the biting of the powder into the clearance as shown in Fig. 2, and to apply an appropriate pressing force to the powder, so that the thin layer Pl of uniform thickness can be continuously sent to the imaging means.

[0050] (d) Imaging means As shown in Fig. 1, the imaging means 15 includes a camera 15a, an image data transmission cable 15b, an illumination means 15c, and a power cable 15d. For example, an area sensor type color CCD camera is preferably used as the camera 15a. The camera 15a is provided in a state of being housed in a cylindrical body, and is focused on the surface of the thin layer Pl being transported on the transport belt 13. The lower part of the cylindrical body is connected to the illumination means 15c, and the camera 15a and the illumination means 15c form a unit.

[0051] The illumination means 15c emits light by the current supplied from the power cable 15d and illuminates the surface of the thin layer Pl. This allows a sufficient amount of light to be sent from the surface of the thin layer Pl to the camera 15a, making it possible to capture a brighter image and detect foreign objects with higher accuracy.

[0052] In this case, it is preferable to use a dome lighting device as the lighting means 15c, which illuminates the thin layer Pl on the conveyor belt with light from all directions. This allows the surface of the thin layer Pl to be uniformly illuminated with stronger light, and foreign matter can be detected with higher accuracy. In the dome lighting device in FIG. 1, multiple light sources are provided inside the dome, while the upper part of the dome is opened, so that the illuminated surface of the thin layer Pl can be imaged by the camera 15a through this opening.

[0053] (e) Means for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter The captured image data is transmitted via image data transmission cable 15b to a foreign object detector (not shown), which is a foreign object presence / absence determining means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign object. The foreign object detector is equipped with a computer, and creates an image from the captured image data using known image data processing. It also detects foreign objects based on the created image, and identifies the position of the detected foreign object.

[0054] (f) Foreign matter ejection means After the foreign matter presence determination is completed, the thin layer Pl is transported to the foreign matter discharge means 16. At this time, if the foreign matter presence determination means determines that foreign matter is mixed into the thin layer Pl, the foreign matter discharge means 16 discharges the detected foreign matter, together with any powder or granular material near the foreign matter, from the conveyor belt to outside the foreign matter inspection system.

[0055] The foreign matter discharge means is not particularly limited as long as it can discharge the detected foreign matter from the conveying belt to the outside of the system together with any powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter. From the viewpoint of efficient foreign matter removal, however, suction discharge is preferred.

[0056] 1, in this embodiment, foreign matter discharge means 16 is disposed above conveyor belt 13 and includes suction control section 16a, suction duct 16b, a suction device (not shown), and a foreign matter collection container (not shown). Suction duct 16b is connected to the suction device, and includes suction port 16c at its lower end that opens above conveyor belt 13.

[0057] In the foreign matter discharge means 16, the suction control unit 16a controls the opening and closing of the suction port 16c based on the judgment result sent from the foreign matter presence / absence judgment means. As a result, when a foreign matter is detected, the detected foreign matter is sucked and discharged from the conveyor belt 13 together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter. The discharged powder or granular material is then collected in a foreign matter collection container.

[0058] In this way, by collecting the detected foreign matter, the material of the foreign matter can be identified, and this information can be reflected in subsequent quality control.

[0059] The thin layer Pl in which no foreign matter is detected passes under the foreign matter discharge means 16 and is collected in the inspected powder / granular material recovery section 17 provided downstream.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 1, the inspected powder / granular material recovery section 17 includes a scraper 17a, a chute 17b, and a recovery container storage space 17c. A powder / granular material recovery container is disposed in the recovery container storage space 17c, and powder / granular material that is not detected to contain foreign matter falls down the chute 17b and is stored in the powder / granular material recovery container. At this time, the scraper 17a scrapes off powder particles adhering to the conveyor belt 13 and drops them onto the chute 17b.

[0061] In this way, by recovering powder or granular material in which no foreign matter has been detected, production losses can be reduced.

[0062] (2) Overall configuration of the foreign object inspection and removal device incorporating each main part Next, the overall configuration of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment in which the above-mentioned main components are incorporated will be described.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view for explaining the overall configuration of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the foreign matter inspection and discharge device 1 according to this embodiment has the above-mentioned main parts housed in a transparent chamber (housing) 21. It also has a touch panel type operation panel 22 and an image monitor 23 for displaying an image of powder or granular material. A lower space 32 is provided below the chamber 21, and necessary devices such as a control device for controlling the operation of the device, a suction device, a dust collector, and an air purge device for making the inside of the chamber 21 a low-temperature environment as necessary are housed in the lower space 32. All of these devices are electrically operated, and can be installed anywhere as long as a power source is available.

[0064] In addition, by incorporating a PLC into the control device, all processes can be carried out fully automatically, simply by supplying the powder to the hopper.

[0065] 2. Second embodiment This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that when the powder or granular material is dropped onto the conveyor belt, an air flow is blown horizontally at the falling powder or granular material from the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt at a predetermined flow rate to form a thin layer of the powder or granular material.

[0066] In this embodiment, the powder is dispersed before it reaches the conveyor belt by applying a horizontal air current to the powder as it falls. This ensures dispersion even when the powder has poor fluidity. The powder is allowed to fall continuously and the conveying speed of the conveyor belt is appropriately adjusted according to the amount of powder falling, so that a thin layer with little variation in thickness can be stably formed. This allows foreign matter to be inspected for a larger number of powders without providing the thin layer forming means, and simplifies the equipment and process.

[0067] 6 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of a powdered material supplying device of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, an airflow generating device 12d, for example, an air blower, is provided in the space between the powdered material supplying means 12 and the conveyor belt 13 to generate an airflow Ab having a predetermined flow speed horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 13, thereby generating the airflow.

[0068] In the above description, the "predetermined flow rate" means a flow rate at which the powder P can be properly dispersed and all of the powder P falls onto the conveyor belt 13, and is determined appropriately depending on the particle size, density, etc. of the powder P.

[0069] Also, a gap C is provided between the casing 12a and the peripheral surface of the upper half and horizontal side portions of the rotor 12b, so that the powder P gradually falls before the grooves 12c face downward. Furthermore, by increasing the number of grooves 12c and narrowing the intervals between the grooves, the powder P falls more reliably, continuously and quantitatively.

[0070] As described above, even without providing an air blower to generate an air current, the powder can be dispersed by adjusting the properties and state of the powder, the falling speed from the rotor, the conveying speed of the conveyor belt, etc., and it is possible to supply powder that can be appropriately imaged even without providing the thin layer forming means described above.

[0071] 3. Third embodiment This embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that multiple small-capacity hoppers are used, and the presence or absence of foreign objects is determined for each hopper, and inspected products are collected from each hopper to separate out foreign objects.

[0072] In this way, the amount of powder contained in each hopper can be reduced, and foreign matter can be easily collected.

[0073] Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment, Fig. 8 is a schematic front view, and Fig. 9 is a schematic front view of the main parts. The foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 according to this embodiment has 20 small-capacity hoppers 11, each of which is arranged on a turntable of an autochanger 41 and has a shutter 11c at the bottom that can be opened and closed. The turntable of the autochanger 41 rotates intermittently by driving a stepping motor or the like, and sequentially sends the hoppers 11 onto the powder and granular material supplying means 12.

[0074] The powder / granular material supplying means 12 is equipped with a shutter opening / closing mechanism 12e. After the hopper 11 containing the powder / granular material P is fed into the powder / granular material supplying means 12, the shutter 11c is opened by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 12e, and the powder / granular material P is supplied from the powder / granular material supplying means 12 onto the conveyor belt 13. After the supply is completed, the shutter 11c is closed.

[0075] In this embodiment, the foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 is equipped with an inversion mechanism 43 for the powder / granular material supplying means 12 and a cleaning area 42, and the inversion mechanism 43 sends the powder / granular material supplying means 12, which has finished dispersing the powder / granular material P, into the cleaning area 42. The cleaning area 42 is equipped with an air blowing section 42a at the top and a suction section 42b at the bottom, and removes powder / granular material adhering to the casing 12a and rotor 12b by blowing air onto the sent-in powder / granular material supplying means 12. Then, after cleaning is completed, the inversion mechanism 43 is inverted and the powder / granular material supplying means 12 is returned to the turntable.

[0076] The foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 also includes a hopper (container) cleaning device 44. The hopper cleaning device 44 includes a shutter opening and closing mechanism, which opens the shutter 11c before powder P is fed into the hopper 11, sucks the inside of the hopper 11 to remove the powder adhering to the hopper 11, and then closes the shutter 11c. After the shutter 11c is closed, the next powder is fed into the hopper 11 as required. By repeating the above operations, the powder P from the multiple hoppers 11 is sequentially fed onto the conveyor belt 13.

[0077] The thin layer Pl formed by the powder P supplied onto the conveyor belt 13 is conveyed to an imaging process, where it is imaged by the imaging means 15. The presence or absence of foreign matter is judged for each hopper based on the image. The image and the judgment results are recorded in a foreign matter detector 15e. Powder containing foreign matter is then sorted out based on the recorded judgment results. Reference numeral 13b denotes a drive device for the conveyor belt 13.

[0078] After the inspection, the thin layer Pl is collected by powder / granular material collecting means for each hopper at the inspected powder / granular material collecting section 18 provided at the downstream end of the conveyor belt 13. The inspected powder / granular material collecting section 18 is equipped with a scraper 18a for removing powder / granular material adhering to the conveyor belt 13, a shooter 18b, and a collection container storage space 18c. A plurality of collection containers are stored in the collection container storage space 18c, and the collection containers are replaced for each hopper. Reference numeral 45 denotes an ionizer.

[0079] The foreign object inspection and discharge device 2 is provided with a cleaning area 42, a hopper cleaning device 44, and other features to enhance the cleaning function within the chamber 21. Therefore, a dust collector 52 is installed in a storage space 51 provided in the lower part of the chamber 21.

[0080] In this way, multiple hoppers can be used to continuously inspect and select multiple powders and granules, which is suitable for inspecting and selecting various types of powders and granules for foreign matter, and these inspection operations can be performed continuously and unmanned. In addition, since the amount of powder and granules supplied per hopper is small, a thin layer forming means (leveling roller) can be omitted as appropriate.

[0081] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications can be made to the above embodiment within the same and equivalent scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 2 Foreign object inspection and removal device 11 Hopper 11a Main body 11b Shooter Club 11c Shutter 12 Powder supply means 12a Casing 12b rotor 12c groove 12d Airflow Generator 12e Shutter opening and closing mechanism 13 Conveyor belt 13a Conveyor belt support plate 13b Conveyor belt drive device 14 Thin layer forming means 14a Smoothing roller 14b Clearance adjustment mechanism 14c Powder and Bulk Materials Guide 14d, 17a, 18a scraper 15 Imaging Method 15a Camera 15b Image data transmission cable 15c lighting means 15d Power cable 15e Foreign object detection device 16 Foreign matter ejection means 16a Suction control section 16b Suction duct 16c Intake port 17, 18 Inspected powder and granular material recovery section 17b, 18b Shooter 17c, 18c Collection container storage space 21 Chamber 22 Control panel 23 Picture monitor 32 Bottom Space 41 Autochanger 42 Cleaning Area 42a Air blower 42b Suction part 43 Reversal mechanism 44 Hopper cleaning device 45 Ionizer 51 Storage Space 52 Dust collector Ab airflow C Gap P (Particles to be inspected) Pl (a thin layer of powder)

Claims

1. A conveyor belt that conveys powder or granular material in a horizontal direction at a predetermined speed; a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and configured to accommodate powder and granular material; a powder / granular material supplying means arranged to be connected to a bottom opening of the hopper, the powder / granular material contained in the hopper being dropped onto the conveyor belt to supply the powder / granular material; an imaging means for imaging the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; a foreign object presence / absence determination means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign object based on the imaging result; a foreign object discharge means for discharging the detected foreign object from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign object when the foreign object is detected, A plurality of the hoppers are provided, 3. An apparatus for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material, comprising an autochanger which sequentially switches the hoppers to drop the powder or granular material onto the powder or granular material supplying means.

2. The powder / granular material supplying means The roller is disposed below the hopper and has a plurality of grooves formed therein in the axial direction.

2. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, which is configured to rotate the roller to cause a predetermined amount of the powder or granular material supplied from the hopper to fall onto the conveyor belt.

3. 3. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a thin layer forming means for forming the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt into a thin layer of a predetermined thickness.

4. The thin layer forming means is A cylindrical roller is provided above the conveyor belt with a predetermined clearance, 4. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 3, wherein the powder or granular material transported by the conveying belt is formed into a thin layer by rotating and pressing the cylindrical roller.

5. The imaging means, 5. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, further comprising a dome lighting device for illuminating the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt with light from all directions.

6. The foreign matter discharge means is A suction duct is provided above the conveyor belt, 6. The inspection and discharge device for foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction duct is configured to suck in the detected foreign matter together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter and discharge it outside the system.

Images