Conveying mechanism and visual inspection device

Abstract

To enable the precise and accurate transport of each object to be processed, along with high-quality processing of various types of items. [Solution] A transport mechanism 20 that receives a large number of tablets P and transports them to the entrance 50i of a processing unit, comprising: a transport belt 21 that transports unaligned tablets toward the entrance of the processing unit; and an alignment mechanism 30 that has a guide cover 31 and a regulating plate 35 having side walls 31a and adjustment walls 35p that cross the transport belt, and aligns the transported tablets one by one and guides and supplies them to the entrance of the processing unit, wherein the alignment mechanism has a contact area 31A that guides tablets that have passed under the regulating plate by bringing the side wall 31a into contact with them, and a non-contact area 31B that has a side wall 31b that does not contact the tablets at an extension of the contact area 31A, thereby releasing contact with the tablets.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying mechanism for conveying objects to be processed one by one in a proper posture and an appearance inspection apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] When performing processes such as processing and inspection on a large number of articles such as tablets, the objects to be processed are put in a non-aligned state and conveyed one by one to the processing location while being aligned. For example, in the case of the conveying mechanism described in Patent Document 1, a large number of objects to be processed are put into a circular ball feeder and conveyed while being sent to the outer peripheral side by vibration, and then supplied to a location where various processes such as confirmation are performed in a state of being aligned one by one.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conveying mechanism as described in this Patent Document 1, while supporting the object to be processed at the bottom and conveying it in a desired direction, the object to be processed is brought into contact and guided by a regulating plate or the like for adjusting the traveling direction on the side surface of the object to be processed, so as to supply the object to be processed to various processing locations.

[0005] For this reason, it is often difficult for objects to be processed with a small weight to be conveyed while maintaining a stable posture due to the contact resistance with the regulating plate, and it is difficult to process them as they are. For example, even when trying to automatically perform an appearance inspection using a camera image, there is a problem that since the posture of the object to be processed is not stable, there is a large variation in the image and high-quality processing cannot be performed.

[0006] For example, in a transport mechanism (alignment mechanism 130) as shown in Figure 5, when the transported tablets P are transported via the regulated range 130A, adjustment range 130B, and immediate forward range 130C, as shown in Figure 6, they are constantly transported through contact areas 131C to 131E that come into contact with the side walls 131c to 131e of the guide cover 131 and the adjustment wall 135p of the regulated plate 135, resulting in them being brought into the entrance 50i of the processing area in an unstable position.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to enable high-precision transport and high-quality processing of various objects by transporting each object to be processed one by one in a stable orientation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the invention of a transport mechanism for solving the above problems is a transport mechanism for receiving at least one or more objects to be processed and transporting them sequentially to a processing unit, comprising: a transport unit that receives the objects to be processed in an unaligned state and transports them toward the entrance of the processing unit; and an alignment unit that aligns the unaligned objects to be processed transported by the transport unit so that they can be sequentially transported toward the entrance of the processing unit, wherein the alignment unit has a contact area that extends across the transport direction of the objects to be processed by the transport unit and contacts the sides of the objects to be processed, guiding the objects to be transported by the transport unit toward the entrance of the processing unit so that they are aligned one by one in a continuous manner before reaching the processing unit; and a non-contact area that is positioned between the end of the contact area of ​​the contact area with the objects to be processed and the entrance of the processing unit, and releases contact with the sides of the objects to be processed.

[0009] One aspect of the invention of a visual inspection device that solves the above problems is characterized by having a processing unit that is equipped with the above-mentioned transport mechanism and performs a visual inspection of the object to be processed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, when the objects to be processed are transported from a non-aligned state toward the entrance of the processing unit, in the contact area, they are aligned one by one in a continuous manner before reaching the processing unit by contact with the sides, traversing (intersecting) the transport direction. In the non-contact area after this contact area, the contact state in the contact area is released, eliminating the instability in posture caused by the contact load, and the objects are transported one by one toward the entrance of the processing unit.

[0011] Therefore, the transport mechanism can transport the objects to be processed one by one in a stable position and supply them to the processing unit in a high-quality position, enabling various processes such as high-quality visual inspection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of an appearance inspection system equipped with a transport mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic plan view showing its overall configuration. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the alignment mechanism of the transport mechanism. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship with the tablets when they are aligned by the alignment mechanism, where (a) is a partial cross-sectional elevation view showing the contact state with the side wall surface of the tablet, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional elevation view showing the non-contact state with the side wall surface of the tablet. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the movement of the tablets when they are aligned by the alignment mechanism, where (a) is a plan view showing the moment of contact, and (b) is a plan view showing the moment of contact. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the alignment mechanism of a conventional transport mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the tablets and the side wall surface when aligned by the alignment mechanism, where (a) is a partial cross-sectional elevation view showing the contact state with the adjustment wall that adjusts the orientation of the tablets, and (b) and (c) are partial cross-sectional elevation views showing the contact state with the side wall surface of the tablets. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 4 show an example of an appearance inspection system equipped with a transport mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] In Figure 1, the visual inspection device 10 is configured to appropriately pull out a large number of tablets P of the object to be processed, which have been placed in the hopper 11, onto the feeder 12 and feed them into the conveying mechanism 20 from the drop-off port 13a of the chute 13, thereby supplying the tablets P one by one to the processing unit 50 that performs visual inspection.

[0015] Here, the tablet P, when shown in a plan view with its bottom surface resting on and supported by the conveyor belt 21 of the conveying mechanism 20 (described later), is not circular, but is formed in a non-circular shape, for example, an elliptical disc shape. In this embodiment, an elliptical tablet P is used as an example for explanation, but it is not limited to this, and for example, polygons such as triangles and quadrilaterals or more, as well as star shapes and other irregular shapes can be handled in the same way, and it is particularly suitable for conveying shapes that are long in one direction, such as ellipses, in a stable position.

[0016] The transport mechanism 20 is configured such that a forward-rotating transport belt (transport section) 21 receives the unaligned tablets P that are fed in from the drop-off port 13a of the chute 13 near the drop-off port 13a and transports them toward the entrance 50i of the processing unit 50, which is the inspection start point. The tablets P on the transport belt 21 are transported in an unaligned state, and are then aligned one by one by an alignment mechanism (alignment section) 30 installed on the transport belt 21 and passed sequentially to the entrance 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0017] In this processing unit 50, the first visual inspection unit 51 and the second visual inspection unit 53 are continuous in the direction of transport of the transport belt 21. The first visual inspection unit 51 performs a visual inspection from the bottom side, including the lower side of the tablet P supplied from the inlet 50i, and then the second visual inspection unit 53 performs a visual inspection from the top side, including the upper side of the tablet P. After this inspection, the sorting mechanism 55 sorts and distributes the tablets P into defective products Pf, good products Pc, and uninspected products Pn.

[0018] Incidentally, the tablets P that are pushed outwards and scattered due to the regulation of the alignment mechanism 30 from the conveying belt 21 are collected on a return belt 23 that rotates in the reverse direction so as to move side by side in a direction parallel to and opposite to the conveying belt 21, and are returned to the vicinity of the dropping port 13a on the upstream side of the conveying belt 21. The return belt 23 has a slope that rises somewhat in order to return the tablets P to the upstream side (near the dropping port 13a) on the conveying belt 21, and thus has ribs 23r on the upper surface side so that the tablets P can be returned without rolling downwards. Here, an inclined surface 21a (see FIG. 3) is formed on the side of the conveying belt 21 on the return belt 23 side, and the tablets P that are scattered on the return belt 23 side are guided to enter in an inclined posture on the inclined surface 21a, and the planar shape is positioned on the bottom surface side so as to suppress rolling on the inclined return belt 23.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the alignment mechanism 30 includes a guide cover 31 and a regulation plate 35, and is installed and constructed so as to be located above the conveying belt 21 that conveys the tablets P supplied by being dropped from the dropping port 13a of the chute 13 while being placed on the upper surface.

[0020] The guide cover 31 is installed so as to be in close proximity to the upper surface of the conveying belt 21 that rotates in a circular motion in the direction from the upstream side under the dropping port 13a of the chute 13 to the downstream side of the inlet 50i side of the processing unit 50 (appearance inspection units 51, 52), and has a side wall surface 31a that generally crosses obliquely from the side away from the return belt 23 of the conveying belt 21 to the side approaching it.

[0021] As a result, the guide cover 31 is placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 21 and guides the tablets P being conveyed from below the dropping port 13a of the chute 13 toward the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50 in a direction approaching the return belt 23 by moving the tablets P while bringing them into contact with the side wall surface 31a. At this time, the guide cover 31 regulates the tablets P protruding from the width of one side of the conveyor belt 21 to be discharged from the inclined surface 21a of the conveyor belt 21 to the return belt 23 side one by one in a continuous state and directs them toward the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0022] The regulating plate 35 is formed in a shape along the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31 and is installed at an adjacent position on the upper side. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, an adjustment wall (guide surface) 35p having an overhang shape that protrudes toward the return belt 23 on the upper side rather than the lower side on the conveyor belt 21 side is formed at least on the side close to the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0023] As a result, the regulating plate 35 applies the load contacting the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31 as the rotational load of the tablets P. At this time, the elliptical tablets P tend to rise up and stand by axial rotation about the axis in the major axis direction due to the contact load with the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31. For this reason, the regulating plate 35 can adjust (regulate and guide) the posture so that it becomes constant, for example, by bringing the tablets P into contact with the adjustment wall 35p until they pass downward to suppress the rising and causing them to fall into a placement state where the planar shape contacts the conveyor belt 21.

[0024] Here, in the narrow restricted area 30A1 upstream of the drop-off port 13a of the chute 13 where the guide cover 31 and the restricting plate 35 overlap, the alignment mechanism 30 is formed to cross the conveyor belt 21 at a steep angle with respect to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 21, so as to effectively spill the tablets P from the conveyor belt 21 to the return belt 23 and restrict them to a continuous state one by one as early as possible. Furthermore, in the restricted area 30A2 adjacent to this restricted area 30A, the angle of inclination of the conveyor belt 21 with respect to the conveying direction is made gentler to reduce the chances of contact with the tablets P spilled to the return belt 23, so that stable tablets P are directed one by one towards the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the adjustment range 30B immediately after passing the overlapping restricted ranges (contact areas) 30A1 and 30A2 of the guide cover 31 and the restricting plate 35, the side wall surface 31a that contacts the tablet P is parallel to the side of the conveyor belt 21 (the tangential direction of the side wall surface 31a coincides with the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 21), and extends in a straight line toward the entrance 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0026] Furthermore, in the open range 30C adjacent downstream to the adjustment range 30B, the guide cover 31 extends in a manner in which the side wall surface 31b, which is displaced from the side wall surface 31a that contacts the tablet P to a position away from the return belt 23, is continuous all the way to the entrance 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0027] As a result, the tablets P that have passed under the adjustment wall 35p of the regulating plate 35 (regulating ranges 30A1, 30A2) are conveyed while rotating in the direction of the solid arrow in Figure 4(a) by applying a contact load, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 4(a), within the contact area 31A where they are in contact with the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 4(a). In the non-contact area 31B after passing the contact area 31A where the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31 is located, the tablets P are conveyed by the conveyor belt 21 in the direction of the arrow in Figures 3(b) and 4(b) without applying a rotation load because they do not come into contact with the side wall surface 31b of the guide cover 31, and are supplied one by one to the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0028] In other words, after passing through the contact area 31A where the side wall surface 31a of the guide cover 31 is located, in the non-contact area 31B where the side wall surface 31b is located, the tablets P are released (prohibited) from contact with the outer surface other than the bottom, and are transported and supplied to the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50 in an aligned state, one by one, without their posture becoming unstable due to contact load.

[0029] Thus, in the transport mechanism 20 of the visual inspection device 10 of this embodiment, a large number of tablets P that are fed in can be transported and supplied one by one in a stable position with high quality to the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50, enabling high-quality visual inspection processing by the first and second visual inspection units 51 and 53, and sorting them with high precision into defective products Pf, good products Pc, and uninspected products Pn.

[0030] In this embodiment, we will describe, as an example, the case in which the alignment mechanism 30 is equipped with a guide cover 31 and a regulating plate 35 with regulating ranges 30A1 and A2 provided by the side wall surface 31a and adjustment wall 35p, but it is not limited to this. For example, similar to the guide cover 131 and regulating plate 135 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tangential direction of the side wall surface (contact surface) 131c, 131d, which omits the side wall surface 131e that contacts the tablet P and regulates the transport direction, and the adjustment wall 135p that suppresses the upward movement of the tablet P, may be formed to curve gently from the tablet P input side, so that the angle of intersection of the transport belt 21 with respect to the transport direction becomes smaller as it approaches the inlet 50i of the processing unit 50.

[0031] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrative and described exemplary embodiments, but also includes all embodiments that produce effects equivalent to those aimed at by the invention. Furthermore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the combination of features of the invention specified by each claim, but can be defined by any desired combination of each of the disclosed specific features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10...Visual inspection device 13a... Dropping port 20... Conveying mechanism 21... Conveyor belt 23... Return belt 30... Alignment mechanism 30A1, 30A2... Regulatory range 30B... Adjustment range 30C...Open range 31... Guide cover 31A……Contact area 31B……Non-contact area 31a, 31b... side wall 35... Regulatory plate 35p……adjustment wall 50... Processing Unit 50i... Entrance 51, 53... 1st and 2nd Visual Inspection Departments P... Tablets

Claims

1. A transport mechanism that receives at least one object to be processed and transports it to a processing unit in sequence, The system comprises a transport unit that receives the objects to be processed in an unaligned state and transports them toward the entrance of the processing unit, and an alignment unit that aligns the unaligned objects to be processed transported by the transport unit so that they can be sequentially passed toward the entrance of the processing unit. The conveying mechanism is characterized in that the alignment section has a contact area that extends across the conveying direction of the object to be processed by the conveying section and contacts the side surface of the object to be processed, while guiding the object to be processed being conveyed by the conveying section toward the entrance of the processing section, thereby aligning the objects to be processed one by one in a continuous manner before reaching the processing section, and a non-contact area that is positioned between the end of the contact area that contacts the object to be processed and the entrance of the processing section, and releases contact with the side surface of the object to be processed.

2. The transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that in the non-contact area, contact with the outer surface of the object to be processed other than the bottom of the object to be processed that supports the object to be transported is prohibited.

3. The transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact area has a guide surface that contacts the object to be processed while regulating its orientation.

4. The transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact area has an intersection angle where the tangential direction of the contact surface that contacts and guides the object to be processed intersects the transport direction of the object to be processed by the transport unit, and this intersection angle becomes smaller as it approaches the non-contact area.

5. An appearance inspection device characterized by comprising a processing unit that performs an appearance inspection of the object to be processed, equipped with the transport mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 4 above.

6. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the object to be processed has a non-circular cross-sectional shape parallel to the bottom surface of the object to be processed that is supported by the transport mechanism of the object to be processed, and the object to be inspected visually is the object to be inspected visually.

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