Tape adhesion state inspection device and tape adhesion state inspection method

Abstract

To provide a tape adhesion state inspection device and tape adhesion state inspection method capable of reliably detecting multiple state defects in an end-surface-processed blank having a translucent tape adhered to an adhesive end portion of a non-translucent blank.SOLUTION: A tape adhesion state inspection device comprises: an imaging unit that captures an image from a rear surface side of an end-surface-processed blank; an illumination unit that irradiates the end-surface-processed blank with light; and an image processing unit that processes an image captured by performing imaging while light is emitted by the illumination unit to detect a defect in the tape adhesion state. The illumination unit includes at least a first illumination that emits light from the rear surface side of the end-surface-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second illumination that emits light from the adhesive end portion side to obtain diffused light, and a third illumination that emits light from the front surface side to obtain transmitted light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device and a method for inspecting the tape application state of an end-face-treated blank, the end face of which is covered with waterproof tape for forming a paper container such as a paper cup. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the material for paper containers such as paper cups has been a paper laminate, in which a resin layer is laminated as a water-blocking layer on the surface of the base paper (paper substrate) that faces the inside of the container, because base paper alone has poor water resistance and gas barrier properties. The inverted truncated cone-shaped body of a paper cup is formed by rolling up a blank punched into a fan shape, overlapping it so that one side end (the adhesive end) is on the inside and the other side end is on the outside, and gluing them together liquid-tightly.However, it is known that the end surface of one side end of the blank that will be on the inside side is treated so that the base paper is not exposed and water resistance is ensured. An example of edge treatment is edge treatment in which separately prepared strips of waterproof tape are attached to both the front and back sides of the side edges of the blank to cover the edge surfaces (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] However, when performing edge processing in which strips of tape are attached to the side edges of a blank, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is difficult to attach the tape to the surface of the side edge of the blank quickly and with high precision, and attachment defects such as wrinkling or curling of the tape may occur.

[0004] Typically, defects in blank conditions, such as blank shape, transport position, and printing position, are detected and determined using a conventional camera imaging system. However, because blanks that have undergone the above-described edge treatment are opaque, while the attached tape is extremely thin and translucent, it is difficult to detect defects using conventional camera imaging. Furthermore, even when light is shone on the inspection area of ​​an edge-treated blank and an image is taken with a camera, the difference between the presence and absence of defects is visible for some types of defects, such as wrinkles, missing tape, protrusions, curls, and misalignment, and the difference remains unchanged, making it impossible to perform a satisfactory inspection. While a method for inspecting the condition of translucent films and the like involves detecting defects using transmitted light, this method is difficult to apply because the blank is opaque. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-063241 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-157526 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5211849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an inspection device and an inspection method for the state of tape application that can reliably detect multiple defects such as wrinkles, missing tape, protrusions, curls, and misalignment in end-face-treated blanks in which translucent tape is applied to the adhesive end of an opaque blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The tape application state inspection device of the present invention is a tape application state inspection device that detects the application state of tape applied to an object to be inspected, the test object is an end-face-treated blank in which a long length of light-transmitting tape is attached to the adhesive end of an opaque blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, an imaging unit that images the edge-processed blank from the back side of the edge-processed blank; an illumination unit that irradiates the edge-processed blank with light; and an image processing unit that processes the image obtained by imaging the image processing unit while irradiating the blank with light from the illumination unit to detect defects in the tape application state of the edge-processed blank, The lighting unit is characterized by having at least a first lighting unit for irradiating light from the back side of the edge-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second lighting unit for irradiating light from the adhesive end side of the edge-processed blank to obtain diffused light, and a third lighting unit for irradiating light from the front side of the edge-processed blank to obtain transmitted light.

[0008] The method for inspecting a tape application state of the present invention is a method for inspecting a tape application state that detects a defect in the tape application state of the end-face-treated blank using an inspection device for inspecting a tape application state that detects the application state of a tape applied to an object to be inspected, the method comprising: the test object is an end-face-treated blank in which a long length of light-transmitting tape is attached to the adhesive end of an opaque blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, The tape application state inspection device includes an imaging unit that images the edge-processed blank from the back side of the edge-processed blank, an illumination unit that irradiates the edge-processed blank with light, and an image processing unit that processes the image obtained by imaging in the imaging unit while irradiating the edge-processed blank with light from the illumination unit to detect defects in the tape application state of the edge-processed blank, the illumination unit has at least a first illumination for irradiating light from the back surface side of the edge-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second illumination for irradiating light from the adhesive end side of the edge-processed blank to obtain diffused light, and a third illumination for irradiating light from the front surface side of the edge-processed blank to obtain transmitted light, The end surface processed blank is intermittently conveyed along a conveying path, During one transport stop period related to intermittent transport, the imaging unit captures a first image in a first lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the first lighting of the lighting unit, the imaging unit captures a second image in a second lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the second lighting of the lighting unit, and the imaging unit captures a third image in a third lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the third lighting of the lighting unit, and an image processing unit detects defects in the tape application state based on the obtained first, second and third images. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the tape application state inspection device and tape application state inspection method of the present invention, there are at least a first illumination for irradiating light from the back side of the edge-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second illumination for irradiating light from the adhesive end side of the edge-processed blank to obtain diffused light, and a third illumination for irradiating light from the front side of the edge-processed blank to obtain transmitted light.This allows the edge-processed blank to be imaged by selectively irradiating light from the direction required for various condition defects such as wrinkles, missing tape, protrusion, curling, and misalignment.Therefore, for multiple condition defects of the edge-processed blank, the condition of the tape piece can be accurately detected as the difference in light intensity between the blank and the tape piece, and the condition can be visualized.Various condition defects can be reliably detected in an extremely short time, for example, within one transport stop period related to the intermittent transport of the edge-processed blank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing a state in which a tape piece is attached to a blank, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a tape application edge surface processing apparatus equipped with a tape application state inspection device of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing a state in which a piece of tape has been adhered to the front surface of a blank, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an inspection device for inspecting a tape application state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5A is a schematic plan view showing the positions of the first and second lights in the inspection device for inspecting the state of tape application in FIG. 4; FIG. 5B is a schematic front view of (a); FIG. 5C is a schematic plan view showing the positions of the first, second, and third lights; and FIG. 5D is a schematic front view of (c). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the installation conditions of the first lighting. [Figure 7] 10 is a photograph showing an imaging state depending on the installation position of the first lighting. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining diffused light and refracted light related to the second illumination. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the installation conditions of the second lighting. [Figure 10] 10 is a photograph showing an image capturing state depending on the installation position of the second lighting. [Figure 11] 10 is a photograph showing a first image under a first illumination and a second image under a second illumination for a poor condition without tape. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the installation conditions of the third lighting. [Figure 13] 10 is a photograph showing an image capturing state depending on the installation position of the third lighting. [Figure 14] 10 is a photograph showing a first image taken with a first illumination, a second image taken with a second illumination, and a third image taken with a third illumination, regarding a poor state of overhang. [Figure 15]10 is a photograph showing an example of a test object in a poor condition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The tape application condition inspection device of the present invention is a tape application edge processing device that continuously and automatically performs edge processing by covering the edge of blanks that are the material for paper containers such as paper cups with long, rectangular pieces of tape, and detects various defects in the tape application condition, specifically wrinkles, missing tape, protrusion, curling, misalignment, etc., for edge-processed blanks in which a long, translucent tape is applied to the adhesive edge of an opaque blank to cover the adhesive edge of the blank. The blank edge processing is performed to prevent the base paper from being exposed at the adhesive edge of the blank that will be located on the inside of the container, thereby suppressing liquid penetration from the blank edge and ensuring high water resistance of the container.

[0013] [Tape-applying edge processing device] The tape application edge processing device 100 equipped with the tape application state inspection device 180 of the present invention performs edge processing by applying a long piece of tape T to the side edge (adhesive edge) of a blank B to cover the edge face E of the side edge, as shown in Figure 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the taping edge surface processing apparatus 100 includes a conveying mechanism 101 that conveys the blanks B along a conveying path, a blank feeding mechanism 110 that takes out the bottommost blanks B one by one from the vertically stacked blanks B and aligns and places them on the conveying path of the conveying mechanism 101, a blank heating mechanism 120 that performs a blank heating step of heating the side edge of the blank B, and a tape joining mechanism 130 that performs a tape joining step of joining a half (hereinafter referred to as the "left half") T1 consisting of approximately half of the width direction of a pre-cut tape piece T to an adhesive edge region A1 of the side edge on the front (one side) of the blank B, as shown in FIG. the tape folding mechanism 150 for performing a tape folding process of folding back the remaining half (hereinafter referred to as the "right half") T2 of the tape piece T protruding from the front-surface edge F1 of the blank B to the back side (other surface side) along the front-surface edge F1 of the blank B; a first welding unit 160 for performing a first welding process of temporarily fastening the folded-back tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the other surface of the blank B; a second welding unit 170 for performing a second welding process of welding the entire surface of the folded-back tape piece T; and a tape attachment state inspection device 180 for detecting defects in the attachment state of the tape piece T to the blank B in the edge-processed blank B2 carried out from the second welding unit 170.

[0014] The blank heating mechanism 120, tape joining mechanism 130, tape temporary fastening mechanism 140, tape folding mechanism 150, first welding unit 160, second welding unit 170, and tape application state inspection device 180 are arranged from upstream along a linear conveyance path, and each step of the tape application edge surface processing is performed at each location as the blank B is conveyed. Furthermore, the blank heating mechanism 120, tape joining mechanism 130, tape temporary fastening mechanism 140, tape folding mechanism 150, first welding unit 160, second welding unit 170, and tape application state inspection device 180 are controlled to operate in conjunction with each other during intermittent conveyance by the conveyance mechanism 101. This allows the tape application edge surface processing device 100 to continuously cover the edge surface E of the side end of the blank B with the tape piece T, and to continuously detect defects in the application state of the tape piece T on the resulting edge-processed blank B2. The edge processing speed of the blank B (the inspection speed of the edge-processed blank B2) by the tape application edge surface processing device 100 of this embodiment is set to 120 to 180 sheets / min, and preferably, for example, 150 sheets / min or more. According to the edge processing described above, basically, the tape piece T is attached to the adhesive end of the blank B on both the front and back sides, covering the edge E, thereby preventing the base paper from being exposed at the edge E and ensuring the desired water resistance. Furthermore, even when the edge processing of the blank B is performed at high speed, this can be done continuously, automatically, and with high precision, preventing the occurrence of bonding defects such as wrinkling and curling of the tape, and the tape piece T can be folded back to the back side while the blank B is being transported. Therefore, the edge processing of the blank B with the tape piece T can be performed in a short time and with a high yield.

[0015] 〔blank〕 The blank B is used to form the body of a paper cup, for example, and has a fan shape in plan view as shown in Fig. 1(a). The fan shape is a shape obtained by cutting a single ring along two straight lines that extend radially from a center point (the center of the fan) and form an acute angle with each other. In the tape application edge surface processing device 100 of this embodiment, a strip of tape T is applied to the side edge (adhesive edge) formed by the straight lines.

[0016] The blank B is an opaque blank that can be obtained by punching out the paper laminate 1 into a predetermined shape. Note that the opaque blank B does not only mean a light-shielding blank, but also means a blank that has relatively low light transmittance compared to the translucent tape piece T. As shown in Figure 1(b), the paper laminate 1 is formed by forming resin layers 3, 3, which serve as water-stopping layers, on both surfaces of the base paper 2, which is the main material. From the viewpoint of ensuring water resistance in the paper container finally manufactured by assembling the blank B, this resin layer 3 only needs to be formed on the side that will become the inner surface of the container. The paper laminate 1 may also have a laminated structure of three or more layers, and each resin layer 3 may be made of a different resin material. Furthermore, for example, a barrier layer made of a metal vapor deposition layer, a printed layer, an adhesive layer, etc. may also be provided.

[0017] The thickness of the blank B (thickness of the paper laminate 1) is, for example, 150 to 450 μm. Furthermore, the thickness of the resin layer 3 is a thickness that exhibits heat sealing properties when the blanks B are thermally bonded together to assemble the paper container, and can be, for example, in the range of 10 to 80 μm, and the thickness can be set according to the target areas to be bonded.

[0018] As the base paper 2, various known base papers can be used depending on the shape of the paper container, the desired strength, etc. Base paper 2 has a basis weight of 150 to 330 g / m 2 It is preferable to use one in the range of

[0019] Various known water-resistant resin materials can be used as the resin material for forming the resin layer 3. Also preferred are materials that combine water resistance and heat-sealing properties, such as polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyvinyl alcohol resins, acrylic acid resins, methacrylic acid resins, vinyl chloride resins, polyvinylidene chloride resins, vinyl acetate resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide resins such as nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, polystyrene resins, phenolic resins, and mixtures thereof. Among these, polyethylene resins are preferred from the viewpoints of water resistance, heat-sealing properties, glass transition temperature, and the like.

[0020] 〔tape〕 The tape piece T to be attached to the side edge of the blank B is a translucent film having a surface layer of a heat-sealable resin that can be welded to the blank B, and may be of either a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. Specific examples of the material of the tape piece T include polyethylene resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polypropylene resin, and the like. An example of the layer structure of the tape piece T is a polyethylene resin layer (thickness 20 μm) / polyethylene terephthalate resin layer (thickness 12 μm) / polyethylene resin layer (thickness 20 μm). The thickness of the tape piece T is preferably, for example, 25 to 150 μm, taking into consideration the folding property and durability.

[0021] The length of the tape piece T in the feeding direction is set based on the length of the side edge of the blank B. The length of the tape piece T in the feeding direction is set to, for example, 30 to 120 mm. The width of the tape piece T is, for example, 5 to 20 mm, and preferably 10 mm. If the width of the tape piece T is too large, the tape folding mechanism will have to be large, and if the width of the tape piece T is too small, it may not be possible to reliably weld the tape piece T to the front and back sides of the side end portions of the blank B. The tape piece T is supplied to the tape joining mechanism 130 as a raw tape in which an uncut, long, narrow tape is wound.

[0022] [Tape application status inspection device] The tape application condition inspection device (hereinafter also referred to as the "tape inspection device") 180 of the present invention uses the end-face-processed blank B2 transported from the second welding section 170 in the tape application end-face processing device 100 as the object to be inspected, illuminates it, images it, and detects any defects in its condition. The end-face-treated blank to be inspected is, as shown in Figure 1, an opaque blank B to which a long piece of translucent tape T is attached, covering the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the tape inspection device 180 has an imaging unit that images the side end (hereinafter also referred to as the "processed end") to which the tape piece T is attached from the back side (bottom side in Figure 4) of the edge-processed blank B2, which is held so that the processed end is floating in the air, an illumination unit that irradiates light onto the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2, a control unit (not shown) that controls the on / off of the illumination unit, and an image processing unit (not shown) that processes the image obtained by imaging in the imaging unit while irradiating light from the illumination unit to detect poor tape attachment conditions on the edge-processed blank B2.

[0024] The imaging unit has one fixedly installed camera 181. Specifically, the camera 181 is disposed on the rear side and outer side (left side in FIG. 4) of the processed end of the edge-treated blank B2, with the optical axis of the camera 181 in a vertical plane perpendicular to the blank conveyance direction, the optical axis passing through the rear edge F2 of the processed end of the edge-treated blank B2, and the angle θ between the optical axis and the rear edge F2 being 40° to 50°, 45° in this embodiment. In addition, the distance d between the camera 181 and the rear edge F2 is c is, for example, 140 to 160 mm, and in this embodiment, is 150 mm. The camera 181 is provided on the back side of the edge-processed blank B2 and captures an image of the back side of the edge-processed blank B2 from a predetermined oblique direction, so that defects in the attachment state of the edge-processed blank B2 can be reliably detected using only one fixedly provided camera 181. This is because, since the edge-processed blank B2 is obtained by attaching a piece of tape T to the front side of the adhesive end of the blank B and then folding it back and attaching it to the back side, defects in the attachment state rarely occur only on the front side of the edge-processed blank B2, and if a defect in the attachment state exists on the front side, a defect in the attachment state will also occur on the back side where it is folded back and attached.

[0025] For example, a "CA-HF2100MX" manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation can be used as the camera 181. For example, a "CA-LHR12" manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation can be used as the lens of the camera 181.

[0026] 4 and 5, the illumination unit has a first illumination 183 for irradiating the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2 with light from the back side to obtain reflected light, a second illumination 185 for irradiating the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2 with light from outside the processed end side to obtain diffused light, and a third illumination 187 for irradiating the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2 with light from the front side to obtain transmitted light. That is, the three illuminations 183, 185, 187 of the illumination unit are arranged to have specific positional relationships that are different from one another with respect to the edge-processed blank B2. The first light 183, second light 185, and third light 187 are independently controlled by a control unit to be turned on and off. 5(a) and (b) are diagrams in which the third lighting 187 is omitted, and FIGS. 5(c) and (d) are diagrams in which the third lighting 187 is arranged.

[0027] The first light 183, the second light 185 and the third light 187 are elongated illuminators each having a narrow surface light source 183B, 185B and 187B arranged within a housing 183A, 185A and 187A, respectively, and the surface light source may be, for example, an LED. Specifically, a white LED "LDL2-158X16SW2" (correlated color temperature 7,800K, input voltage DC24V, power consumption 16W) manufactured by CCS can be used as the first lighting 183, second lighting 185, and third lighting 187. Also, a "CA-DC40E" manufactured by KEYENCE can be used as a lighting expansion unit. The external dimensions of the reflective illuminator 183, second illuminator 185 and third illuminator 187 are, for example, 170 mm in length, 20 mm in width and 20 mm in height, and the dimensions of the light exit surface of the surface light source are 160 mm in length and 16 mm in width.

[0028] [First illumination related to reflected light] The first lighting 183 is positioned on the same side as the camera 181 (the back side of the edge-processed blank B2) with respect to the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2, and is capable of irradiating light onto the back side of the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2.By turning this on, light can be irradiated onto the back side of the tape piece T of the edge-processed blank B2, and the camera 181 can capture a first image using the reflected light obtained from the tape piece T. From the first image, it is possible to detect a poor condition of the tape piece T by determining that the portion where the tape piece T reflects white is a wrinkle or curl (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0029] The first lighting 183 has a narrow surface light source 183B, and is arranged so that the entire line segment (hereinafter also referred to as the ``back side edge F2 line segment'') that is the same length as and parallel to the back side edge F2 of the end face E on the surface including the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B is located within the light emission surface 183C of the surface light source 183B that constitutes the first lighting 183. That is, the first lighting 183 is arranged such that the light emission surface 183C of the surface light source 183B faces the back surface of the end-face-processed blank B2 along a plane parallel to the blank conveying plane (xy plane) and the longitudinal direction extends in the blank conveying direction (x direction). In this specification, the plane including the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B refers to a vertical plane (xz plane) that forms a 90-degree angle with the blank conveying plane (xy plane) and passes through the front edge F1 and back edge F2 of the adhesive end face E. The blank conveying direction is the x direction, the direction perpendicular to this and parallel to the blank conveying plane is the y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the x and y directions is the z direction. In Figures 4 and 5(b) and (d), the blank conveying direction is the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, from the back to the front. This also applies to Figures 6, 8, 9, and 12 below.

[0030] The distance d1 in the z direction between the first lighting 183 and the blank B of the end-face-treated blank B2 may be any distance that can irradiate with enough light to visually identify the difference between the blank B and the tape piece T in the first image obtained when the first lighting 183 is turned on, and is preferably 10 to 50 mm, for example, and is 30 mm in this embodiment.

[0031] The preferred installation position (fixed position) of the first lighting 183 in the width direction (y direction) is a position where the center line of the width direction extending in the longitudinal direction of the surface light source 183B of the first lighting 183 is completely included directly below the back side edge F2 line segment in the z direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the installation position of the first lighting 183 in the width direction (y direction) is offset by a width d1 from the fixed position on the blank side and the opposite side of the blank in the width direction. + , d1 - are each within the range of {(1 / 2 the width of the surface light source) + 2} mm (10 mm in this embodiment), and as long as they are within this range, even if the surface light source 183B is not present directly below the back side edge F2 line segment in the z direction, the light emitted from the surface light source 183B is diffused light, so that the light can be irradiated onto the tape piece T, and therefore, there is no problem in detecting wrinkles or curls. For example, if the first illuminator 183 deviates from the above range to the anti-blank side in the horizontal direction (y direction), the distance between the end-face-treated blank B2 and the first illuminator 183 increases, as shown in Figure 7(b), resulting in a decrease in the amount of light, and defects such as wrinkles and curls cannot be reflected as white, making it impossible to detect these defects. Note that the example shown in Figure 7(b) shows an image obtained when the first illuminator 183 is installed at a position displaced 20 mm from its fixed position to the anti-blank side in the y direction.

[0032] [Second illumination related to diffused light] The second lighting 185 is positioned to the side of the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2 so that it can irradiate the end face and back surface of the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2.When the second lighting 185 is turned on, light α1 can be irradiated from the end face side and back surface side of the tape piece T of the edge-processed blank B2, as shown in Figure 8, and a second image can be captured by the camera 181 using the diffused light α2 and refracted light α3 obtained at the tape piece T. In the second image, the diffused light is refracted at the edge of the tape piece T, resulting in a difference in the light captured by the camera 181, causing the edge of the tape piece T to stand out in black, and a defective tape-absence condition can be detected based on the presence or absence of this edge (see FIG. 10(a)). In addition, defective conditions such as curling and misalignment can also be detected based on the position of the black edge.

[0033] The second illuminant 185 has a narrow surface light source 185B and is arranged so that the entire line segment (back side edge F2 line segment) that is the same length as and parallel to the back side edge F2 of the end face E in the blank conveying plane (xy plane) is located within the light emission surface of the surface light source 185B that constitutes the second illuminant 185. That is, the second lighting 185 is arranged such that the light emission surface 185C of the surface light source 185B faces the end surface of the end surface-processed blank B2 along a vertical plane (xz plane) that forms an angle of 90 degrees with the blank conveying plane, and the long dimension extends in the blank conveying direction (x direction).

[0034] The distance d2 in the y direction between the second lighting 185 and the blank B of the end-face-treated blank B2 may be any distance that can irradiate with enough light to visually identify the difference between the blank B and the tape piece T in the second image obtained when the second lighting 185 is turned on, and is preferably 10 to 50 mm, for example, and is 30 mm in this embodiment.

[0035] The preferred installation position (fixed position) of the second lighting 185 in the height direction (z direction) is a position where the upper front edge of the second lighting 185 in the width direction extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 185A of the second lighting 185 completely includes, in the y direction, a line segment (hereinafter also referred to as the "surface side edge F1 line segment") that is the same length as and parallel to the surface side edge F1 of the end face E. As shown in FIG. 9, the installation position of the second lighting 185 in the height direction (z direction) is offset by a width d2 from the fixed position toward the blank surface in the height direction. + is {(1 / 2 the width of the surface light source) + 2} mm (10 mm in this embodiment), and there is a shift width d2 - is within the range of {(1 / 2 the width of the surface light source) + 7} mm (15 mm in this embodiment), and as long as it is within this range, even if the surface light source 185B is shifted from its fixed position to the back side of the blank and is not present directly to the side of the front side edge F1 line segment in the y direction, the light emitted from the surface light source 1835 is diffused light and can be irradiated onto the tape piece T, so there is no problem in detecting curls or misalignment (see Figure 10(a)). For example, if the second illuminator 185 deviates from the above range toward the blank surface in the height direction (z direction), as shown in Figure 10(b), the second illuminator 185 is positioned closer to the surface than the edge-treated blank B2, and therefore light cannot be irradiated onto the back side of the edge-treated blank B2. As a result, diffused light from the tape piece T on the back side cannot be obtained, and the edge of the tape piece T cannot be made to stand out in black, making it impossible to detect poor conditions such as missing tape, curling, or misalignment. Note that the example shown in Figure 10(b) shows an image obtained when the second illuminator 185 is installed in a position displaced 20 mm toward the blank surface in the z direction from its normal position. Furthermore, for example, if the second illuminator 185 deviates from the above range toward the back surface of the blank in the height direction (z direction), as shown in Figure 10(c), the distance between the edge of the tape piece T in the edge-treated blank B2 and the second illuminator 185 increases, reducing the amount of light and preventing sufficient diffused light. As a result, the edge of the tape piece T cannot be made to stand out in black, and defects such as missing tape, curling, and misalignment cannot be detected. Note that the example shown in Figure 10(c) shows an image obtained when the second illuminator 185 is installed in a position displaced 20 mm from its fixed position toward the back surface of the blank in the z direction.

[0036] According to the second image captured with the second light 185 turned on, it is possible to detect the absence of tape (Fig. 11(b): there is tape; Fig. 11(c): there is no tape), but according to the first image captured with the first light 183 turned on, there is no difference and therefore it is not possible to detect it (Fig. 11(a)).

[0037] [Third illumination related to transmitted light] The third lighting 187 is positioned on the opposite side of the processed end of the edge-processed blank B2 from the camera 181 (the surface side of the edge-processed blank B2) and so as to be able to irradiate light outward from the processed end of the surface of the edge-processed blank B2.By turning this on, light can be irradiated from the surface side onto the tape piece T of the edge-processed blank B2, and the camera 181 can capture a third image using the transmitted light that passes through the tape piece T. In the third image, the white part that appears through the tape piece T can be detected as an overhang, or if the misalignment is so great that it protrudes from the blank B, a poor condition can be detected (see Figure 13(a)).

[0038] The third illuminant 187 has a narrow surface light source 187B, and is arranged so that the entire surface side edge F1 segment of the end face E on the surface including the end face E of the adhesive end of the blank B is located within the light emission surface 187C of the surface light source 187B that constitutes the third illuminant 187. That is, the third lighting 187 is arranged such that the light emission surface 187C of the surface light source 187B faces the surface of the end-face-processed blank B2 along a plane parallel to the blank conveying plane (xy plane) and the longitudinal direction extends in the blank conveying direction (x direction).

[0039] The distance d3 in the z direction between the third lighting 187 and the blank B of the end-face-treated blank B2 may be any distance that can irradiate with enough light to visually identify the difference between the blank B and the tape piece T in the third image obtained when the third lighting 187 is turned on, and is preferably 10 to 50 mm, for example, and is 30 mm in this embodiment.

[0040] The preferred installation position (fixed position) of the third lighting 187 in the width direction (y direction) is a position where the center line of the width direction extending in the longitudinal direction of the surface light source 187B of the third lighting 187 is directly above the line segment of the front side edge F1 in the z direction and completely includes it. As shown in FIG. 12, the installation position of the third lighting 187 in the width direction (y direction) is offset by a width d3 from the fixed position on the blank side and the opposite side of the blank in the width direction. + , d3 - are each within the range of {(1 / 2 the width of the surface light source) + 2} mm (10 mm in this embodiment), and as long as they are within this range, even if the surface light source 187B is not located directly above the front side edge F1 line segment in the z direction, the light emitted from the surface light source 187B is diffused light, so that the light can be irradiated onto the tape piece T, and this does not hinder the detection of positional misalignment or protrusion (see Figure 13(a)). For example, if the third illuminator 187 deviates from the above range to the anti-blank side in the horizontal direction (y direction), the distance between the end-face-treated blank B2 and the third illuminator 187 increases, resulting in a decrease in the amount of light, making it impossible to make the protruding portion appear white and making it impossible to detect any protruding defects. Note that the example shown in Figure 13(b) shows an image obtained when the third illuminator 187 is installed at a position displaced 20 mm from its fixed position to the anti-blank side in the y direction. Furthermore, for example, if the third illuminator 187 deviates from the above range toward the blank in the horizontal direction (y direction), as shown in Figure 13(c), the third illuminator 187 will interfere with the protruding portion of the tape piece T on the end-face-treated blank B2, making it impossible to determine the difference between the third illuminator 187 and the tape piece T, and therefore it will be impossible to detect a poor protruding state. Note that the example shown in Figure 13(c) shows an image obtained when the third illuminator 187 is installed at a position displaced 20 mm from its fixed position toward the blank in the y direction.

[0041] In the third image captured with the third illumination 187 turned on, the protrusion can be detected as a white portion due to transmission (Figure 14(c)), but it cannot be detected because there is no difference between the first image (Figure 14(a)) captured with the first illumination 183 turned on and the second image (Figure 14(b)) captured with the second illumination 185 turned on.

[0042] The control unit controls the camera 181 to take an image of the first light 183, the second light 185, and the third light 187, turning them on one by one in sequence during one transport stop period of the intermittent transport of the end-face-treated blanks B2. The order in which the lights are turned on, the intervals between turning the lights on and off, etc. can be set as appropriate.

[0043] The image processing unit detects defects in the tape application state from a first image captured by the imaging unit of a first lighting state by the first lighting 183 of the lighting unit, a second image captured by the imaging unit of a second lighting state by the second lighting 185, and a third image captured by the imaging unit of a third lighting state by the third lighting 187, all of which are obtained during one transport stop period related to intermittent transport. As the image processing unit, for example, a combination of a controller "XG-X2800" manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation and a camera unit "CA-E200" manufactured by KEYENCE Corporation can be used.

[0044] In the tape inspection method using the tape inspection device 180 described above, when the blank B2 with its end surface processed is conveyed from the second welding section 170 and stopped at the inspection position, it is illuminated from three directions in sequence and photographed during one of the conveyance stop periods related to the intermittent conveyance, and the presence or absence of any defects in its condition can be inspected. Specifically, when a trigger is turned on by the control unit, the first illuminator 183 is turned on alone, and the camera 181 captures a first image using reflected light while illuminating the edge-processed blank B2 with light from the first illuminator 183. The first illuminator 183 is then turned off and the second illuminator 185 is turned on alone, and the camera 181 captures a second image using diffused and refracted light while illuminating the edge-processed blank B2 with light from the second illuminator 185. The second illuminator 185 is then turned off and the third illuminator 187 is turned on alone, and the camera 181 captures a third image using transmitted light while illuminating the edge-processed blank B2 with light from the third illuminator 187. The first, second, and third images are captured consecutively in response to a single trigger. Image information for the resulting first, second, and third images is sent to the image processing unit, where any defects in the tape application state are detected.

[0045] The overall conveying speed of the edge-treated blanks B2 is 120 to 180 sheets / min, and the conveying stop period is 0.16 to 0.25 s (0.2 s in this embodiment). The illumination lighting time for capturing the first image using the reflected light from the first illumination 183 is, for example, 4 ms, and the processing time is, for example, 50.3 ms. The illumination lighting time for capturing the second image using the diffused light and refracted light by the second illumination 185 is, for example, 4 ms, and the processing time is, for example, 56.8 ms. The illumination lighting time for capturing the third image using transmitted light from the third illumination 187 is, for example, 4 ms, and the processing time is, for example, 2.1 ms.

[0046] As shown in Table 1 and Figure 15, the first image using the first illumination 183 is used to identify whether wrinkles (see Figure 15(a)) and curls (see Figure 15(b)) are good or bad in the tape application state, the second image using the second illumination 185 is used to identify whether there is no tape (see Figure 15(c)), curls, and misalignment (see Figure 15(e)) are good or bad, and the third image using the third illumination 187 is used to identify whether there is protrusion (see Figure 15(f)) and misalignment (see Figure 15(d)). An inspected product that is identified as good in all of these inspections is deemed to be a passing product, and an inspected product that is identified as bad in any one item is detected as a defective product.

[0047] [Table 1]

[0048] Hereinafter, other devices provided in the taping edge surface processing device 100 of this embodiment will be described.

[0049] [Transport mechanism] The conveying mechanism 101 conveys the blanks B continuously and intermittently in one direction, specifically conveying the blanks B linearly so that the longitudinal direction (direction in which the side edges F extend) of the end faces E of the side ends of the blanks B that are to undergo end face processing coincides with the conveying direction. The conveying mechanism 101 also has a conveying lane 102, and preferably supports the center of the blanks B when conveying them so that the side ends of the blanks B that are to undergo end face processing are suspended in midair, with, for example, 35 to 50 mm from the end faces E of the blanks B protruding outward from the conveying lane 102. In the transport mechanism 101 according to the present embodiment, a transport method using a belt conveyor with vacuum suction is adopted, but the specific transport method is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that can achieve the desired intermittent transport, and various known configurations can be adopted. For example, a transport method in which the workpiece is clamped by a clamping member may be adopted.

[0050] [Blank heating mechanism] The blank heating mechanism 120 heats the front and back surfaces of the side end portions of the blank B, thereby increasing the temperature of the entire blank B and melting the resin layer 3 on the front and back surfaces of the side end portions of the blank B. Specifically, the blank heating mechanism 120 is configured to include a heating unit 121 that heats the front side of the side end of the blank B, and a heating unit 126 that heats the back side of the side end of the blank B, both of which are provided on the transport path of the side end of the blank B. By simultaneously heating the front and back sides of the side end of the blank B, a sufficient amount of heat is applied to the side end of the blank B, even when the edge surface of the blank B is processed at high speed, making it possible to reliably raise the temperature of the blank B, and allowing the tape piece T to be reliably bonded to the blank B in the subsequent tape bonding mechanism 130. These heating sections 121, 126 are arranged on the conveying path at the side end of the blank B so as to be in a non-contact state with the blank B, thereby enabling the blank B to be heated simply by conveying it in the conveying direction and stopping it at a predetermined position. Specifically, the heating sections 121, 126 consist of hot air heaters, with multiple tiny hot air ports that blow out hot air arranged along a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the side end of blank B, spaced 3 to 8 mm from each of the front and back surfaces of the side end of blank B. In the blank heating mechanism 120, the area including the adhesive end areas A1 and A2 on the front and back sides of the side end of the blank B to which the tape pieces T are attached needs to be heated to a predetermined temperature, for example, an area 10 mm inward from the side edge F is heated. The temperature of the hot air from the heating unit 121 facing the front surface of the blank B can be, for example, 440°C, and the temperature of the hot air from the heating unit 126 facing the back surface of the blank B can be, for example, 300°C. The temperatures of the heating units 121, 126 for the front and back surfaces of the blank B may be the same, but because the tape piece T is bonded to the front surface of the side edge of the blank B in the tape bonding mechanism 130 described below, it is preferable to set the temperature of the heating unit 121 facing the front surface of the blank B higher. If the temperatures of the heating units 121, 126 are excessively high, there is a risk that the resin forming the resin layer 3 will foam due to the moisture in the base paper 2 of the blank B. The specific heating method of the blank B in the blank heating mechanism 120 is not limited to a method using hot air, and various known configurations can be adopted as long as it can heat the front and back surfaces of the side end portion of the blank B to a predetermined temperature. For example, a heating method using a direct flame plate may be adopted.

[0051] [Tape bonding mechanism] The tape joining mechanism 130 supplies a piece of tape T cut to a length corresponding to the side edge of the blank B at the joining position P so that the longitudinal direction of the tape piece T coincides with the blank transport direction, and while transporting the blank B, joins the left half T1 of the tape piece T to the adhesive end area A1 on the front side of the blank B, and puts the right half T2 of the tape piece T in a selvedge state in which it protrudes outward (to the right in Figures 3(a) and (b)) from the side edge F of the blank B. In this example, the width of the tape piece T is 10 mm, the left half T1 of the tape piece T is 4.7 mm wide, and the remaining right half is 5.3 mm wide. Since the tape pieces T are cut to a length corresponding to the side end of the blank B, even when the specifications of the blank B change, tape of a length corresponding to the blank B can be supplied, and there is no need to change the width size of the raw tape roll when the specifications of the blank B change, resulting in high versatility.

[0052] Specifically, the tape bonding mechanism 130 includes a tape transport unit that unwinds uncut tape from a roll of tape (not shown) and transports it along a tape transport path while applying tension using a tension roll or the like as necessary; a tape cutting unit that cuts the tape in the tape width direction perpendicular to the tape transport direction at a tape cutting position C on the tape transport path to obtain tape pieces T; and a bonding unit that is positioned downstream of the tape cutting unit on the tape transport path and bonds the tape pieces T to the adhesive end area A1 on the surface side of the blank B.

[0053] The tape transport unit is not limited to a specific configuration as long as it can transport an extremely thin tape without meandering, but for example, it can be configured to transport the tape piece T on a conveyor by a tape transport belt 135 that can adsorb the tape piece T. It may also be configured to have a groove in which the tape piece T is transported while fitted into the groove. The tape transport belt 135 is stretched over a plurality of tension rollers, and is driven to circulate in one direction (clockwise in FIG. 2) by a drive roller among the rollers. The tape transport path of the tape transport unit also has a section in which the tape is transported vertically downward. The tape transport unit unwinds the tape piece T in synchronization with the transport speed of the blank B by the transport mechanism 101, and transports it to the joining position P. Therefore, at the joining position P, the transport speed of the tape piece T and the transport speed of the blank B are the same, and the transport amounts of the blank B and the tape piece T are the same, so that the occurrence of wrinkles and misalignment in the tape piece T can be suppressed while the pieces are joined together.

[0054] The tape cutting unit is preferably configured to cut the tape to obtain tape pieces T in a section of the transport path where the tape is transported vertically downward by the tape transport unit. Since tension acts on the tape in the longitudinal direction (vertically downward) due to its own weight when the tape is in a vertical position, the rigidity of the tape increases and the stability of tape transport improves, thereby stabilizing the cutting of the tape. After being cut, the tape pieces T are adsorbed and held by the tape transport belt 135 by the tape transport unit and transported to the joining unit. The tape piece T is cut in the tape width direction by the tape cutting unit, so the width of the raw tape corresponds to the width of the tape piece T.

[0055] The bonding unit is configured to include a drive roller 136, which is also a tension roller for the tape transport belt 135 of the tape transport unit, and a nip roller (not shown) arranged opposite the drive roller 136 and rotated in synchronization with the drive roller 136 so as to move in the same direction at the bonding position P. In the tape bonding mechanism 130, the uncut tape is fed in the longitudinal direction and cut across the width of the tape to obtain tape pieces T. The cut tape pieces T are also fed in the longitudinal direction while being supplied along the side edge F of the blank B. The feed speed of the tape piece T is synchronized with the feed speed of the blank B, so that when the blank B heated by the blank heating mechanism 120 and the tape piece T are stacked together and sandwiched between the drive roller 136 and the nip roller, the left half T1 of the tape piece T comes into contact with the adhesive end region A1 on the front side of the blank B in the heated state at the bonding position P, and the resin layer 3 of the blank B is melted to a bondable state by pressure bonding, allowing the tape piece T to be bonded to this adhesive end region A1. Here, the positional relationship of the drive roller 136 and the nip roller relative to the thickness of the blank B and the tape piece T will be explained. The thickness of the blank B is approximately 0.4 mm, the thickness of the tape piece T is approximately 0.05 mm, and the gap between the drive roller 136 and the nip roller is approximately 0.45 mm. In this embodiment, the positional relationship between the drive roller 136 and the nip roller is such that a gap of a size corresponding to the thickness of the tape piece T is left between them, but the nip roller may also be configured to be positioned in a state in which it presses against the drive roller 136 so as to apply an appropriate nip pressure.

[0056] The region to be joined to the blank B by the tape joining mechanism 130 is the central region of the side edge of the blank B, excluding the upstream and downstream ends in the blank transport direction. The edge regions to which the tape piece T is not joined are regions having a length t1 in the blank transport direction of approximately 5 mm±1 mm, for example. In other words, the length h of the tape piece T cut by the tape cutting unit is shorter than the length of the side edge of the blank B (e.g., 110 mm) and is a length (e.g., 100 mm) obtained by subtracting the length of the edge region to which the tape piece T is not joined. If the positional accuracy of the lamination is low, the end face covering effect may not be properly obtained, curling may be hindered when assembling blank B, and the appearance may be impaired. The end regions are not exposed inside the container because they become the curled portion of the opening or the bottom portion when the blank B is assembled.

[0057] The specific amount of protrusion of the tape piece T outward from the adhesive end region A1 on the front side of the blank B varies slightly depending on the width of the tape piece T, but it is sufficient that it is securely attached to the front and back surfaces of the side end portions of the blank B and covers the end face E, and for example, it is preferably 20 to 80% of the width of the tape piece T after deducting the length of the end face E, and more preferably 50%.

[0058] The specific method of adhering the tape pieces T to the blanks B in the laminating unit is not limited to the method of pressing them together using two rollers, and various known methods can be used. For example, a method using a seal bar (hot plate) or an ultrasonic method may be used. Furthermore, depending on the welding method used, welding can be performed while the blanks B are stationary, rather than while they are being conveyed.

[0059] [Tape temporary fastening mechanism] The tape temporary fastening mechanism 140 is disposed between the tape joining mechanism 130 and the tape folding mechanism 150, and temporarily fastens the tape piece T to the surface side of the blank B in order to prevent the tape piece T from peeling off from the blank B in the tape folding mechanism 150 described below, or to improve the folding accuracy of the tape piece T. The tape piece T can be temporarily fastened by welding the left half T1 of the tape piece T to at least a part of the upstream side in the blank conveyance direction (blank leading edge side) of the adhesive end region A1 on the front side of the blank B. In other words, at least the leading edge side in the blank conveyance direction of the left half T1 of the tape piece T can be welded to the blank leading edge side of the adhesive end region A1 on the front side of the blank B. The tape piece T may be temporarily fastened over the entire adhesive end region A1, that is, over the entire left half T1 of the tape piece T.

[0060] Specifically, the tape temporary fastening mechanism 140 is configured to include an upper seal bar 141 that can move up and down and is provided on the transport path of the side end of the blank B, and that heats the front side of the side end of the blank B, and a fixed lower seal bar 146 that heats the back side of the side end of the blank B. The upper seal bar 141 and the lower seal bar 146 each have a size corresponding to the area of ​​the left half T1 of the tape piece T to be temporarily fastened. By lowering the upper seal bar 141 while the blank B is stopped in a predetermined position, a predetermined area where the tape piece T on the side edge of the blank B should be temporarily fastened is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 141 and the lower seal bar 146, thereby enabling the temporary fastening process. When the upper seal bar 141 is in the raised position, the space between the upper seal bar 141 and the lower seal bar 146 becomes a transport path for the side edge of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper seal bar 141 can be, for example, 130°C, and the temperature of the lower seal bar 146 can be, for example, 60°C. The temperatures of the seal bars 141, 146 are preferably set so that the temperature of the upper seal bar 141 is higher, since the tape piece T is temporarily fastened to the surface side of the side edge of the blank B. If the temperature of the lower seal bar 146 is excessively high, there is a risk that the blank B will stick to the lower seal bar 146. The temperatures of the seal bars 141, 146 may be set higher, as long as problems such as the tape piece T or blank B sticking to them do not occur. In addition to temperature control, the surfaces of the seal bars 141, 146 that come into contact with the blank B and tape piece T are subjected to an adhesion surface treatment such as fluororesin processing in order to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and tape piece T from sticking to these seal bars 131, 136. The specific method of welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the tape temporary fastening mechanism 140 is not limited to a method using a seal bar (hot plate), and various known configurations can be used as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fastened to the blank B. For example, a pressure bonding method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be used. Furthermore, depending on the welding method used, welding can be performed while the blank B is being conveyed, rather than while the conveyance of the blank B is stagnant.

[0061] [Tape folding mechanism] The tape folding mechanism 150 has an insertion path 151 extending in the blank conveying direction, through which the side edge of the blank B passes while being conveyed. The insertion path 151 is open on one side (the front side in Figure 2) along the blank conveying direction, allowing the side edge of the blank B to pass through during conveyance. The insertion path 151 has a ceiling wall arranged to face the front side of the blank B on the plane along which the conveyed blank extends (hereinafter referred to as the "blank plane"), a folding wall whose angle with the blank plane continuously decreases as the blank B is conveyed in the blank conveying direction, and a rear wall connecting the ceiling wall and the folding wall. In other words, the folding wall has a different slope depending on its position along the blank conveying direction, and the slope of the wall surface changes continuously or stepwise as the blank moves in the blank conveying direction. The inner surface of the insertion passage 151 of the tape folding mechanism 150, i.e., the surface that comes into contact with the blank B and the tape piece T, is subjected to a surface treatment such as a fluororesin processing treatment to ensure non-adhesion and low friction with the blank B and the tape piece T.

[0062] When the blank B with the left half T1 of the tape piece T adhered to its surface and the right half T2 protruding from the side edge F is passed through the insertion passage 151, the tape piece T interferes with the rear wall and the folding wall, and the right half T2 of the tape piece T is automatically folded toward the back surface of the blank B, and is finally folded 180 degrees so as to face closely against the back surface of the blank B.

[0063] In the tape folding mechanism 150, the right half T2 of the tape piece T to be folded is bent along the rear wall and the folding wall, so that the tape piece T folded along the rear wall, which is slightly spaced apart from the end face E of the blank B, is folded back without coming into contact with the end face E of the side end of the blank B. Since the tape piece T is welded in this state, the resulting edge-processed blank B has a small space formed between the edge E of the blank B and the tape piece T. Here, "not contacting the edge E of the blank B" means that a space can be formed between the edge E and the folded-back tape piece T, and means that the length of the tape piece T from the side edge on the front side of the blank B to the side edge on the back side is greater than the length in the thickness direction of the edge E (i.e., the thickness of the blank B), and includes the case where a part of the floating tape piece T is in contact with the edge E. For example, in a blank B whose edge has been processed, the width of the left half T1 of the tape piece T welded to the adhesive end area A1 on the front side of the side end of the blank B can be 4.7 mm, and the width of the remaining right half T2 welded to the adhesive end area A2 on the back side can be 4.7 mm, and the width of the non-welded portion facing the edge E can be 0.6 mm. The space formed between the end surface E of the blank B after end surface treatment and the tape piece T may be larger than the space described above.

[0064] In the tape folding mechanism 150 of this embodiment, the folding of the tape piece T is achieved by a single insertion passage 151 whose internal wall structure changes continuously, but the specific configuration of the tape folding mechanism 150 is not limited to the above embodiment, and it may be configured to gradually fold the tape piece T using multiple stations, or it may be configured to fold the tape piece T while the blank B is stopped from being transported, rather than while it is being transported.

[0065] [First welded part] The tape application end surface processing device 100 of this embodiment has a welding mechanism that attaches the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end area A2 on the back surface of the blank B, and this welding mechanism consists of a first welding section 160 that temporarily fastens the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end area A2 on the back surface of the blank B, and a second welding section 170 that welds the entire surface of the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end area A2 on the back surface of the blank B. The first welding section 160 is located near the exit of the insertion passage 151 of the tape folding mechanism 150, and serves to temporarily fasten the tape piece T folded back to the back side of the blank B, maintaining the folded state of the tape piece T, and providing it to the second welding section 170. The tape piece T can be temporarily fastened to the back side of the blank B by welding a portion of the right half T2 of the tape piece T to an inner region in the width direction perpendicular to the blank conveyance direction in the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B. For example, a region 2.2 mm wide from the free end (the right end before being folded back) of the tape piece T folded back to the back side of the blank B, and extending from the leading end to the trailing end in the blank conveyance direction, can be welded to the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B.

[0066] Specifically, the first welding section 160 is equipped with a tape correction guide (not shown) that supports the area of ​​the tape piece T other than the temporary fastening area to the back side of the blank B and maintains the folded state in which the tape piece T folded back by the tape folding mechanism 150 is forcibly brought close to the other side of the blank B, and is further equipped with a fixed upper sealing bar 161 that is provided on the conveying path of the side end of the blank B and heats the front side of the side end of the blank B, and a lower sealing bar 166 that can move up and down and heats the back side of the side end of the blank B. The tape correction guide is composed of a non-heating bar that supports the tape piece T in a state where it pushes it upward from below, facing the upper seal bar 161, and a lower seal bar 166 is disposed adjacent to the tape correction guide and facing the upper seal bar 161. The tape correction guide and the lower seal bar 166 are spaced apart from each other by, for example, about 0.5 mm in the horizontal direction. The tape correction guide is fixedly provided, and the space between the exit of the insertion passage 151 of the tape folding mechanism 150 and the upper seal bar 161 and tape correction guide at the first welding portion 160 is substantially continuous, so that the blank B can be transported to the specified heating point while maintaining the folded state of the tape piece T. By using a non-heating bar as the tape correction guide, the tape piece T is prevented from contacting the seal bar for a long period of time, and thermal shrinkage of the tape piece T can be suppressed. The surfaces of the tape correction guide that come into contact with the blank B and the tape piece T are subjected to a surface treatment such as a fluororesin processing treatment to prevent the resin layer of the blank B or the tape piece T from sticking to the tape correction guide.

[0067] By raising the lower seal bar 166 while the blank B is held in a predetermined position, the side edge of the blank B is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 161 and the lower seal bar 166, thereby enabling the temporary fastening process. After the temporary fastening process, the free end of the right half T2 of the tape piece T of the blank B is welded to the back surface of the blank B, and the remainder of the right half T2 of the tape piece T is left floating without being welded to the blank B. On the other hand, when the lower seal bar 166 is in the lowered position, the space between the upper seal bar 161 and the lower seal bar 166 and the tape correction guide forms a transport path for the side edge of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper seal bar 161 can be, for example, 115°C, and the temperature of the lower seal bar 166 can be, for example, 135°C. The temperatures of the seal bars 161, 166 are preferably set higher than the temperature of the lower seal bar 166 because the tape pieces T are temporarily fastened to the backside of the side edges of the blank B and because time has passed since the blank B was heated by the blank heating mechanism 120. On the other hand, the temperature of the upper seal bar 161 does not need to be raised as much as that of the lower seal bar 166 because the heat applied by the tape temporary fastening mechanism 140 remains. If the temperatures of the seal bars 161, 166 are excessively high, there is a risk that the tape pieces T will stick to the seal bars 161, 166. The temperatures of the seal bars 161, 166 may be set higher as long as problems such as the tape pieces T sticking to them do not occur. In addition to temperature control, the surfaces of the seal bars 161, 166 that come into contact with the blank B and the tape piece T are subjected to an adhesion surface treatment such as a fluororesin processing treatment in order to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and the tape piece T from sticking to these seal bars 161, 166. The specific method of welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the first welding section 160 is not limited to a method using a seal bar (hot plate), and various known configurations can be used as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fastened to the blank B. For example, a pressure bonding method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be used. Furthermore, depending on the welding method used, welding can be performed while the blank B is being conveyed, rather than while the conveyance of the blank B is stagnant.

[0068] [Second welded part] The second welding portion 170 welds substantially the entire surface of the folded tape piece T to the adhesive end region A2 on the back surface of the blank B. Because a portion of the right half T2 of the tape is temporarily fastened to the back surface of the blank B at the first welding portion 160, the folded state of the tape piece T is maintained even without correction by the tape correction guide. The welding of the tape piece T at the second welding section 170 may be performed on the entire right half T2 of the tape piece T facing the back side of the blank B, but this is not limited to this. It is sufficient if the floating area of ​​the tape piece T that has not been welded to the back side of the blank B at the first welding section 160 is newly welded, and some floating may remain as long as it melts during the heat sealing process when assembling the blank B to form a paper container.

[0069] Specifically, the second welding section 170 is configured to include a fixed upper seal bar 171 that is provided on the conveying path of the side end of blank B and heats the front side of the side end of blank B, and a lower seal bar 176 that can move up and down and heats the back side of the side end of blank B. By raising the lower seal bar 176 while the blank B is held in a predetermined position, the side edge of the blank B is sandwiched between the upper seal bar 171 and the lower seal bar 176, thereby enabling full-surface welding. After full-surface welding, the blank B has the left half T1 of the tape piece T welded to the front of the blank B and most of the right half T2 welded to the back of the blank B, with the tape piece T affixed to both the front and back surfaces of the blank B by welding, and therefore the end face E is covered. Note that the tape piece T may be welded directly to the end face E of the blank B, or it may be covered by the tape piece T via a gap. When the lower seal bar 176 is in the lowered position, the space between the upper seal bar 171 and the lower seal bar 176 serves as a transport path for the side edge of the blank B, allowing the blank B to pass through. The temperature of the upper seal bar 171 can be, for example, 40°C, and the temperature of the lower seal bar 176 can be, for example, 130°C. The temperatures of the seal bars 171, 176 are preferably set higher than that of the lower seal bar 176, since the tape pieces T are to be welded to the unwelded portions of the adhesive end region A2 on the back side of the blank B. On the other hand, the upper seal bar 171 still retains heat applied in the mechanism up to the previous process, so the temperature does not need to be raised as much as the lower seal bar 176. If the temperatures of the seal bars 171, 176 are excessively high, there is a risk that the tape pieces T will stick to the seal bars 171, 176. The temperatures of the seal bars 171, 176 may be set higher as long as no problems such as the tape pieces T sticking to them occur. In addition to temperature control, the surfaces of the seal bars 171, 176 that come into contact with the blank B and the tape piece T are subjected to an adhesion surface treatment such as a fluororesin processing treatment in order to prevent the resin layers of the blank B and the tape piece T from sticking to these seal bars 171, 176. The specific method of welding the tape piece T to the blank B in the second welding section 170 is not limited to a method using a seal bar (hot plate), and various known methods can be used as long as the tape piece T can be temporarily fastened to the blank B. For example, a pressure bonding method using a fixing roll or an ultrasonic method may be used. Furthermore, depending on the welding method used, welding can be performed while the blank B is being conveyed, rather than while the conveyance of the blank B is stagnant.

[0070] The above describes an inspection device for inspecting the state of tape application according to one embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the detection is not limited to detecting a defective state of the tape piece attached to the processed end of the end-face-processed blank, but the detection target can be any part of the end-face-processed blank. [Industrial Applicability]

[0071] The tape application state inspection device and tape application state inspection method of the present invention are not limited to inspecting the processed ends of end-face-processed blanks for manufacturing paper containers such as paper cups, but can also be suitably used to detect poor application conditions in an object to be inspected, which is an opaque sheet body to which a thin film of translucent material is attached. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Paper laminate 2 Base paper 3 Resin layer 100 Tape-attaching edge processing device 101 Transport mechanism 102 Transport Lane 120 Blank heating mechanism 121,126 Heating section 130 Tape bonding mechanism 135 Tape conveyor belt 136 Drive Roll 140 Tape temporary fastening mechanism 141 Upper seal bar 146 Lower seal bar 150 Tape folding mechanism 151 Passage 160 1st welding part 161 Upper seal bar 166 Lower seal bar 170 2nd welding part 171 Upper seal bar 176 Lower seal bar 180 Tape attachment status inspection device 181 Camera 183 First Lighting 183A Housing 183B Surface light source 183C Light exit surface 185 Second Lighting 185A Housing 185B Surface light source 185C Light exit surface 187 Third Light 187A Housing 187B Surface light source 187C Light exit surface B Blank C Cutting position E End face T tape piece T1 left side T2 Right side A1 Glue end area A2 Glue end area F side edge P Joining position

Claims

1. A tape attachment state inspection device that detects the attachment state of a tape attached to an object to be inspected, the test object is an end-face-treated blank in which a long length of light-transmitting tape is attached to the adhesive end of an opaque blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, an imaging unit that images the edge-processed blank from the back side of the edge-processed blank; an illumination unit that irradiates the edge-processed blank with light; and an image processing unit that processes the image obtained by imaging the image processing unit while irradiating the blank with light from the illumination unit to detect defects in the tape application state of the edge-processed blank, The lighting unit has at least a first lighting unit for irradiating light from the back side of the edge-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second lighting unit for irradiating light from the adhesive end side of the edge-processed blank to obtain diffused light, and a third lighting unit for irradiating light from the front side of the edge-processed blank to obtain transmitted light.

2. The end-face-treated blank is intermittently conveyed along a conveying path, 2. The tape application state inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit detects defects in the tape application state from a first image captured by the imaging unit in a first lighting state by the first lighting of the lighting unit, a second image captured by the imaging unit in a second lighting state by the second lighting of the lighting unit, and a third image captured by the imaging unit in a first lighting state by the third lighting of the lighting unit, all of which are obtained during one transport stop period related to intermittent transport.

3. the first illuminator has a narrow surface light source; 2. The tape application state inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the first illuminator is arranged so that a line segment that is the same length as and parallel to the back-side edge of the end face on a plane including the end face of the adhesive end is located within the light emission plane of the surface light source that constitutes the first illuminator.

4. the second illuminator has a narrow surface light source; The tape application state inspection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the second lighting is arranged so that a line segment that is the same length as and parallel to the back side edge of the end face in the blank conveying plane through which the surface of the end face-treated blank passes is located within the light emission surface of the surface light source that constitutes the second lighting.

5. the third illuminator has a narrow surface light source, 2. The tape application state inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the third illuminator is arranged so that a line segment that is the same length as and parallel to the front edge of the end face on a plane including the end face of the adhesive end is located within the light emission plane of the surface light source that constitutes the third illuminator.

6. 2. The tape application state inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit captures an image at an angle of 40° to 50° with respect to a blank transport plane through which the back surface of the end-face-treated blank passes.

7. A method for inspecting a tape attachment state, which detects a defect in the tape attachment state of the end-face-treated blank, using an inspection device for inspecting a tape attachment state that detects an attachment state of a tape attached to an object to be inspected, comprising: the test object is an end-face-treated blank in which a long length of light-transmitting tape is attached to the adhesive end of an opaque blank to cover the end face of the adhesive end of the blank, The tape application state inspection device includes an imaging unit that images the edge-processed blank from the back side of the edge-processed blank, an illumination unit that irradiates the edge-processed blank with light, and an image processing unit that processes the image obtained by imaging in the imaging unit while irradiating the edge-processed blank with light from the illumination unit to detect defects in the tape application state of the edge-processed blank, the illumination unit has at least a first illumination for irradiating light from the back surface side of the edge-processed blank to obtain reflected light, a second illumination for irradiating light from the adhesive end side of the edge-processed blank to obtain diffused light, and a third illumination for irradiating light from the front surface side of the edge-processed blank to obtain transmitted light, The end surface processed blank is intermittently conveyed along a conveying path, a first image captured by the imaging unit in a first lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the first lighting of the lighting unit during one transport stop period related to intermittent transport; a second image captured by the imaging unit in a second lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the second lighting of the lighting unit; and a third image captured by the imaging unit in a third lighting state in which the edge-processed blank is irradiated with light by the third lighting of the lighting unit; and an image processing unit detecting defects in the tape application state based on the obtained first, second, and third images.

Images