Outer shape inspection device

Abstract

To provide an outer shape inspection device capable of improving inspection accuracy of a workpiece.SOLUTION: An outer shape inspection device 1 inspects an outer shape of an inspection target on the basis of whether the inspection target can pass through a gap between a first surface plate (upper surface plate 3) and a second surface plate (lower surface plate 4) facing each other. The outer shape inspection device includes a follow mechanism 5 that causes the first surface plate (upper surface plate 3) to follow the second surface plate (lower surface plate 4). After the first surface plate (upper surface plate 3) is made to follow the second surface plate (lower surface plate 4) by the follow mechanism 5, the gap is formed by relatively separating the first surface plate (upper surface plate 3) and the second surface plate (lower surface plate 4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shape inspection device. [Background technology]

[0002] A known conventional external shape inspection device is one that inspects the external shape (thickness, etc.) of an object to be inspected (hereinafter referred to as a "work") based on whether the object can pass through a gap between two surface plates (flat plates) that are arranged at a distance from each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-185552 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional external inspection device described above, the two surface plates are arranged in advance so that they are parallel to each other with a predetermined gap between them, but the parallelism of the two surface plates may decrease due to factors such as the temperature environment immediately before the inspection. If the parallelism of the two surface plates decreases in this way, the workpiece cannot be inspected normally; in other words, the inspection accuracy of the workpiece decreases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide an external shape inspection device that can improve the inspection accuracy of a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This is an external appearance inspection device that inspects the external appearance of an object to be inspected based on whether the object can pass through a gap between a first and second platen facing each other, and is equipped with a copying mechanism that makes the platen copy the second platen, and after the platen is copied to the second platen by the copying mechanism, the gap is formed by moving the platen and the second platen away from each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an external shape inspection device that can improve the inspection accuracy of a workpiece. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A to 1E are (a) a front view, (b) a left side view, (c) a right side view, (d) a top view, and (e) a bottom view of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a perspective view of a shape inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above on the front left side. [Figure 3B] 1 is a perspective view of a shape inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above on the front right side. [Figure 3C] 1 is a perspective view of a rear left side of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 3D] 1 is a perspective view of a rear right side of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 4A] 1 is a perspective view of a shape inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below on the front left side. [Figure 4B] 1 is a perspective view of a shape inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below on the front right side. [Figure 4C] 1 is a perspective view of a rear left side of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 4D] 1 is a perspective view of a rear right side of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 5-1] FIG. 2 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S1) of the external appearance inspection device in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5-2] FIG. 10 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S2) of the external appearance inspection device in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5-3] FIG. 10 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S3) of the external appearance inspection device in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Fig. 1 is a front view of an external inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows (a) a front view, (b) a left side view, (c) a right side view, (d) a top view, and (e) a bottom view of the external inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the side where the workpiece is carried in is the front of the external inspection device.

[0010] Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above the front left side. Fig. 3B is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above the front right side. Fig. 3C is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above the rear left side. Fig. 3D is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above the rear right side.

[0011] Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally below the front left side. Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally below the front right side. Fig. 4C is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally below the rear left side. Fig. 4D is a perspective view of the external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally below the rear right side.

[0012] The configuration of an external appearance inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A to 3D, and 4A to 4D as appropriate.

[0013] The external shape inspection device (hereinafter referred to as "inspection device 1") in this embodiment of the present invention comprises a main frame 2, an upper surface plate 3, a lower surface plate 4, a copying mechanism 5, an upper drive unit 6, and a lower drive unit 7.

[0014] The main frame 2 is composed of an upper frame 21 that is a rectangular flat plate when viewed from above, a lower frame 22 that is a rectangular flat plate when viewed from above, and four cylindrical supports 23 that connect the upper frame 21 and the lower frame 22. The upper frame 21 and the lower frame 22 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction, with the supports 23 sandwiched between them. When viewed from above, the outer periphery of the lower frame 22 extends in the left-right direction more than the outer periphery of the upper frame 21, and this extended portion is used as a fixing portion when fixing the inspection device 1 to an arbitrary base (not shown) as necessary.

[0015] The upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 are rectangular flat plates when viewed from above, and are made of, for example, metal. The upper surface plate 3 is fixed to the lower plate 52 (described in detail later) of the copying mechanism 5. The lower surface plate 4 is fixed to the upper surface of the lower frame 22. The upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 are arranged so as to face each other in the vertical direction. The outer periphery of the lower surface plate 4 extends laterally beyond the outer periphery of the upper surface plate 3 when viewed from above, and multiple work guides 41 are installed in this extended portion so as to extend in the front-to-rear direction. The work guides 41 are intended to restrict the movement of the workpiece in the horizontal direction, but are not essential. The upper surface plate 3 may be formed integrally with the lower plate 52 of the copying mechanism 5. The lower surface plate 4 may also be formed integrally with the lower frame 22 of the main frame 2.

[0016] The tracing mechanism 5 is composed of an upper plate 51, a lower plate 52, three support members 53, and two guide members 54. The tracing mechanism 5 also includes three displacement sensors 55 as an additional component. The upper plate 51 and the lower plate 52 are arranged facing each other at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. Each support member 53 is composed of a cylindrical main body 531, a columnar movable pole 532 held within the main body 531 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a joint member 533 provided at the lower end of the movable pole 532. The main body 531 of the support member 53 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper plate 51. A biasing mechanism (not shown) composed of a coil spring or an air cylinder is provided within the main body 531 of the support member 53, and this biasing mechanism biases the movable pole 532 downward to an appropriate degree. This configuration contributes to improving the stability of the operation of the lower plate 52. The movable pole 532 extends below the lower surface of the upper plate 51 and is connected to the upper surface of the lower plate 52 via a joint portion 533 .

[0017] Each joint 533 is disposed near each corner of the lower plate. Each joint 533 is configured, for example, by a general ball joint (not shown). At least two of the three joints 533 are equipped with an optional movement mechanism (not shown) that allows the lower plate 52 to move slightly in all directions horizontally (in the direction along the upper surface of the lower plate 52) relative to the ball joint. With this configuration, the lower plate 52 can be slightly tilted in any direction relative to the upper plate 51, with one of the three joints 533 serving as a fulcrum. Furthermore, the upper surface plate 3, which is fixed to the lower surface of the lower plate 52, can also be slightly tilted in any direction relative to the upper plate 51 together with the lower plate 52.

[0018] In this embodiment, as described above, the lower plate 52 is configured to tilt via the multiple joints 533, and therefore the tilting action of the lower plate 52 can be stabilized. In particular, since each joint 533 is disposed near each corner of the lower plate, as described above, this is more effective. However, the number and arrangement of the joints 533 are not limited to this. Furthermore, the joints 533 are not limited to ball joints, and may be other joints (e.g., universal joints) having similar functions. However, ball joints are preferred.

[0019] Note that the above-mentioned moving mechanism (not shown) may be, for example, a mechanism in which a frame-shaped cover having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter is attached to the outer periphery of a ball receiving member (socket) that holds the ball portion of the ball joint (the ball portion provided at the lower end of the movable pole 532), and this frame-shaped cover is fixed to the upper surface of the lower plate 52, thereby accommodating the ball receiving member inside the frame-shaped cover via a small gap. However, the above-mentioned moving mechanism is not limited to this mechanism. The above-mentioned moving mechanism may be provided for all three joint portions 533 as necessary. Providing the above-mentioned moving mechanism enables the lower plate 52 to be tilted smoothly. Furthermore, it enables the tilt range of the lower plate 52 to be expanded. However, the above-mentioned moving mechanism is not essential and may be omitted if not particularly necessary.

[0020] Each guide section 54 is made up of a cylindrical guide pole 541 and a cylindrical receiving member 542 that slidably holds the guide pole 541. The guide pole 541 is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction and is fixed to the upper surface of the upper plate 51. The receiving member 542 is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction and is fixed to the upper frame 21 so as to pass through the upper frame 21.

[0021] Each displacement sensor 55 is a contact-type displacement sensor, and is disposed near each support portion 53. Each displacement sensor 55 is disposed to extend vertically and is fixed to the upper surface of the lower plate 52. The contactor (spindle) of each displacement sensor 55 extends below the lower surface of the lower plate 52 and faces the upper surface of the outer periphery of the lower surface plate 4. When the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 are close to each other, the contactor of each displacement sensor 55 abuts against the upper surface of the lower surface plate 4 and can measure the gap (distance) between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4. The electrical signal (measurement result) output from each displacement sensor 55 is input to a control device (not shown) of the inspection device 1, and the inspection device 1 can perform a predetermined operation in response to the electrical signal. Note that the displacement sensor 55 can be replaced with other measurement devices, such as a non-contact (e.g., optical) displacement sensor.

[0022] The upper drive unit 6 is composed of one electric actuator 61. The electric actuator 61 is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction and is fixed to the upper surface of the upper frame 21. The electric actuator 61 has a columnar movable part 611 that moves linearly in the vertical direction. The movable part 611 extends below the lower surface of the upper frame 21 and is fixed to the upper surface of the upper plate 51 of the copying mechanism 5. This allows the upper plate 51 of the copying mechanism 5 to move in the vertical direction together with the movable part 611 of the electric actuator 61. In other words, the copying mechanism 5 and the upper surface plate 3 can move in the vertical direction together with the movable part 611 of the electric actuator 61.

[0023] The lower drive unit 7 is composed of three electric actuators 71 (more specifically, for example, servo actuators). Each electric actuator 71 is arranged to extend in the vertical direction and is fixed to the lower surface of the lower frame 22. Each electric actuator 71 has a columnar movable part 711 that moves linearly in the vertical direction. Each movable part 711 extends above the upper surface of the lower frame 22 and faces the lower surface of the outer periphery of the lower plate 52 of the copying mechanism 5. When the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 are close to each other, each movable part 711 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lower plate 52 of the copying mechanism 5 and can push up the lower plate 52.

[0024] In this embodiment, as described above, the upper drive unit 6 and the lower drive unit 7 are separately arranged at one end and the other end in the vertical direction of the inspection device 1, so the center of gravity of the inspection device 1 does not shift significantly to one side, and the inspection device 1 is structurally stable. Furthermore, the upper drive unit 6 and the lower drive unit 7 arranged in this manner are unlikely to interfere with each other, which contributes to improving the design freedom and simplifying the structure of the inspection device 1. The upper drive unit 6 and the lower drive unit 7 may be configured with drive devices other than electric actuators (for example, manual actuators, etc.).

[0025] FIG. 5-1 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S1) of the external appearance inspection device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5-2 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S2) of the external appearance inspection device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5-3 is a simplified right side view showing the operation (S3) of the external appearance inspection device in an embodiment of the present invention. Note that although FIGS. 5-1 to 5-3 are right side views corresponding to FIG. 2(c), for the sake of convenience of explanation, some components are omitted and some components are depicted schematically in FIGS. 5-1 to 5-3.

[0026] 5-1 to 5-3, the operation of the inspection device 1 will be described below. Before inspecting a workpiece, the inspection device 1 performs the following steps 1 to 3 (hereinafter referred to as "S1" to "S3" respectively).

[0027] <s1> First, as shown in FIG. 5-1, the inspection device 1 moves the movable part 611 of the electric actuator 61 of the upper drive unit 6 upward to move the upper surface plate 3 to an arbitrary position away from the lower surface plate 4. At this time, the position to which the upper surface plate 3 is moved is appropriately selected, and may be, for example, the position farthest from the lower surface plate 4.

[0028] <s2> Next, as shown in FIG. 5-2, the inspection device 1 moves the movable part 611 of the electric actuator 61 of the upper drive unit 6 downward to bring the lower surface of the upper surface plate 3 into close contact with the upper surface of the lower surface plate 4. At this time, the lower surface of the upper surface plate 3 is copied to the upper surface of the lower surface plate 4 by the copying mechanism 5, so that the lower surface of the upper surface plate 3 and the upper surface of the lower surface plate 4 become parallel to each other. In this state, the measurement values ​​of each displacement sensor 55 are reset to zero as necessary.

[0029] <s3> Next, as shown in FIG. 5-3, the inspection device 1 moves each of the movable parts 711 of the three electric actuators 71 (not shown) of the lower drive unit 7 upward one by one in sequence, or simultaneously, by the same distance. As a result, the upper end of each movable part 711 abuts against the lower surface of the lower plate 52 of the copying mechanism 5, pushing the lower plate 52 up to a predetermined position, and a certain gap G (a gap that allows the workpiece to pass through) is formed between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4. The parallelism of the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 when the gap G is formed is substantially the same as the parallelism when the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 are in close contact with each other in S2 described above.

[0030] After the operation of S3 is completed, the inspection device 1 inspects the workpiece according to a predetermined process. At this time, the workpiece moves from the left side of the paper in FIG. 5-3 (the front side of the inspection device 1) to the right side (the back side of the inspection device 1) and passes through the gap G between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4. The method for moving the workpiece can be selected as appropriate, but one possible method is to forcefully push the workpiece sideways and slide it across the upper surface of the lower surface plate 4. Also, if the inspection device 1 is installed in a position where it is laid on its side, it is possible to use a method in which the workpiece is allowed to fall freely from top to bottom. The workpiece is, for example, a flat object, but is not limited to this.

[0031] As described above, in the inspection device 1, by performing the operations S1 to S3 before inspecting a workpiece, the parallelism of the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 is increased, thereby improving the inspection accuracy of the workpiece. Note that the operations S1 to S3 do not need to be performed every time a workpiece is inspected, and may be performed only once in a day before the first inspection, for example. The frequency with which the operations S1 to S3 are performed is selected appropriately depending on the situation.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may take the following embodiments, for example.

[0033] In cases where the parallelism between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 constantly changes while the inspection device 1 is inspecting a workpiece, the inspection device 1 may constantly measure the gap (distance) between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 using the three displacement sensors 55, and based on the measurement results, appropriately adjust the amount of movement of each of the movable parts 711 of the three electric actuators 71 of the lower drive unit 7, thereby performing control (feedback control) so that the parallelism between the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 is always kept constant. In this way, the inspection accuracy of the workpiece can always be kept constant.

[0034] The inspection device 1 may be provided with an optional locking mechanism that fixes the inclination angle of the lower plate 52 when the upper surface plate 3 is in close contact with the lower surface plate 4 at S2 shown in FIG. 5-2. When such a locking mechanism is provided, the operation of moving the lower plate 52 upward, which was previously performed by the lower drive unit 7, can be performed by the upper drive unit 6 instead, and therefore the lower drive unit 7 can be omitted as necessary. However, the lower plate 52 can be moved more stably when the lower drive unit 7 is used.

[0035] The copying mechanism 5 may be replaced with a simpler copying mechanism in which the upper plate 51, the support part 53, and the guide part 54 are omitted, and the movable part 611 of the electric actuator 61 of the upper drive unit 6 is simply connected to the upper surface of the lower plate 52 via a single joint part similar to the joint part 533. However, when the copying mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 1 is used, the parallelism of the upper surface plate 3 and the lower surface plate 4 can be more stabilized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1. Inspection equipment 2. Mainframe 21 Upper Frame 22 Lower frame 23 Pillar 3 Upper surface plate 4 Lower surface plate 41 Work Guide 5. Copying mechanism 51 Upper Plate 52 Lower plate 53 Support Department 531 Main Unit 532 Movable Pole 533 Joint 54 Guide section 541 Guide Pole 542 Receiving member 55 Displacement Sensor 6 Upper drive unit 61 Electric Actuator 611 Moving parts 7 Lower drive unit 71 Electric Actuator 711 Moving parts G Gap

Claims

1. 1. A shape inspection device that inspects the shape of an object to be inspected based on whether the object can pass through a gap between a first platen and a second platen facing each other, a copying mechanism that causes the platen to copy the second platen, After the platen is caused to imitate the second platen by the imitating mechanism, the platen and the second platen are moved away from each other to form the gap. A shape inspection device characterized by:

2. 2. The external appearance inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the copying mechanism comprises a plate that holds the platen and a plurality of joint portions provided on a surface of the plate opposite to the side on which the platen is placed, and the plate is tilted via the plurality of joint portions so that the platen copies the second platen.

3. 3. The external shape inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the joint portion is connected to one end of a movable portion biased toward the plate.

4. 3. The external appearance inspection device according to claim 2, further comprising a movement mechanism provided between the joint portion and the plate, for moving the plate laterally relative to the joint portion.

5. 3. The external shape inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the joint portion is configured as a ball joint.

6. 3. The external shape inspection device according to claim 2, further comprising: a first drive unit that moves the entire copying mechanism toward the second base plate; and a second drive unit that moves the plate of the copying mechanism in a direction away from the second base plate.

7. 7. The external shape inspection device according to claim 6, wherein the first drive unit and the second drive unit are arranged to face each other with the copying mechanism interposed therebetween.

8. 7. The external appearance inspection device according to claim 6, further comprising a measuring device that measures the distance of the gap, and controls the operation of the second drive unit based on an electrical signal output from the measuring device so that the parallelism of the base plate and the second base plate is maintained constant.

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