Method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing on transparent film material

Abstract

It accurately detects abnormalities in perforations applied to transparent film material. [Solution] The method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing according to the present invention includes the steps of: transporting a transparent film material on which perforations have been applied along the transport direction; irradiating illumination light toward the lateral end of the transparent film material in a direction intersecting the transport direction; imaging the transparent film material in the state irradiated with illumination light via an imaging means; and detecting the abnormality of the perforations based on the imaging result of the transparent film material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for detecting an abnormality in perforation processing for detecting an abnormality in perforation applied to a transparent film material, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] A packaging bag for accommodating an article is known. As an example of such a packaging bag, a back-in-box (BIB) exemplified in Patent Document 1 can be mentioned. In the manufacturing process of BIB, individual packaging bags are not cut but connected and used as a strip-shaped web packaging material.

[0003] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the manufacturing process of BIB, after detecting defective packaging bags through a defect inspection machine, a process of excluding them from the web packaging material is executed. That is, when a defective part is detected by the defect inspection machine, the packaging bag having this defective part is removed by perforation, and then the front ends and the rear ends of the packaging bags composed of two separated non-defective products are joined with an adhesive tape. Note that it is necessary to form perforations on this adhesive tape for joining non-defective products so that the non-defective products can be easily separated later.

[0004] On the other hand, conventionally, a perforation processing device for applying perforations (also referred to as "perforation lines") to a workpiece is also known. For example, in Patent Document 2, a rotatable perforation blade (also referred to as a "perforation die") is arranged opposite to a rotatable receiving cylinder, and a processing device for selectively forming a perforation line on a workpiece conveyed on the receiving cylinder in the conveying direction by the perforation blade is disclosed. In addition, a post-processing system for detecting an abnormality in perforations applied to a workpiece is also known. For example, in Patent Document 3, when the length of the perforations in a read image is not constant, when the length of the perforations is shorter than a predetermined target length, or when the interval between the perforations is wider than a predetermined interval, a system for determining that there is an abnormality due to paper powder contamination in the perforation blade is proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-129011 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-200815 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-62735 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The prior art, including the aforementioned patent documents, still has areas that need improvement, as described below. Specifically, although it is possible to impart perforations to a workpiece using perforation devices disclosed in the aforementioned patent documents, the perforations imparted to the workpiece are not necessarily of good quality.

[0007] In contrast, while a post-processing system, for example, as described in Patent Document 3, can detect perforation abnormalities, the workpiece to which perforations are added in Patent Document 3 is paper. That is, if the workpiece is a transparent film material, such as the adhesive tape used for repairs in the BIB mentioned above, the system proposed in Patent Document 3 cannot be applied as is, and further improvements are needed for perforation detection.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a method for detecting abnormalities in perforations applied to a transparent film material with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing of a transparent film material according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for detecting abnormalities in perforations in a transparent film material to which perforations have been applied, comprising the steps of: conveying the transparent film material to which perforations have been applied along a conveying direction; irradiating illumination light toward the lateral end of the transparent film material in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; imaging the transparent film material in the state irradiated with the illumination light via an imaging means; and detecting the abnormality of the perforations based on the imaging result of the transparent film material.

[0010] In the perforation abnormality detection method described in (1) above, (2) illumination light is irradiated from an illumination means positioned to the side of the transparent film material being transported toward the side edge, and the incident angle of the illumination light on the transparent film material is preferably in the range of -40° to 20°, with the horizontal direction relative to the transparent film material being defined as 0°.

[0011] Furthermore, in the perforation abnormality detection method described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that (3) the transparent film material, when illuminated by the illumination light, is imaged by the imaging means with an anti-reflective plate positioned directly below the imaging means and below the transparent film material.

[0012] Furthermore, in the perforation abnormality detection method described in (4) above, it is preferable that in the step of (3) imaging the transparent film material, a preprocessing step is performed in which linear shapes applied to the transparent film material are extracted as perforations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the perforation abnormality detection method of the present invention, since the perforations are imaged while illuminating them with illumination light toward the lateral edge of the transparent film material in a direction intersecting the transport direction, it is possible to accurately detect abnormalities in the perforations applied to the transparent film material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a front view schematically showing a sewing machine eyelet processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a side view of a sewing machine eyelet processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the eyelet applying means and the receiving roll when applying an eyelet. [Figure 4] It is a partial perspective view schematically showing a main part of a sewing machine eyelet processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing a pay-off roll and a first idler roll among the sewing machine eyelet processing devices according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram showing the α part in FIG. 3 and the positional relationship between the eyelet blade and the receiving roll when applying an eyelet, respectively. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram showing a second idler roll and a removing device among the sewing machine eyelet processing devices according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram showing a take-up roll among the sewing machine eyelet processing devices according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram (viewed from the side) showing an inspection device for the eyelets applied to the workpiece according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram (viewed from above) showing an inspection device for the eyelets applied to the workpiece according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] It is an image example of eyelet inspection by an imaging device, and an image example showing a good product example and a defective product example. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a sewing machine eyelet processing device according to a modified example. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing another example of the take-up roll 12.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, a perforation processing system including a perforation processing device and a perforation inspection device for a workpiece according to this embodiment will be specifically described. The following embodiments describe one example to which the present invention is applied and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way, and may be implemented by appropriately supplementing other known configurations, including the above-mentioned patent documents. In the following, the vertical (gravity) direction with respect to the installation surface of the device will be conveniently set as the Z direction, the direction in which the workpiece is transported as the X direction, and the direction in which the pair of side support plates described later are aligned perpendicular to the X and Z directions as the Y direction.

[0016] [Perforation Processing System 300] Figure 1 shows the perforation processing system 300 in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the perforation processing system 300 in this embodiment includes a perforation processing device 100 that performs perforation processing on a workpiece, a perforation inspection device 200 that determines the quality (abnormality) of the perforations applied to the workpiece, and a control device (not shown) such as a known computer that controls the perforation processing system 300. The perforation processing device 100 and the perforation inspection device 200 are supported by a housing 60, which will be described later.

[0017] Suitable materials for the perforation processing system 300 are materials (such as film materials) that can be conveyed by the conveyor roll 10 described later and to which perforations PF can be applied. An example of such a film material is a strip-shaped material that is continuous in the conveying direction (for example, a strip-shaped packaging material in which individual pieces are connected in a continuous manner).

[0018] Furthermore, as an example of the workpiece in this embodiment, a tape material that can be wound and unwound in a roll and has an adhesive layer used as perforated tape in the BIB described above is preferred. As an example, the perforated tape in this embodiment uses an OPP (Oriented Polypropylene) film as the base material, and examples of known natural rubber-based adhesives, acrylic-based adhesives, rubber-based hot melts, acrylic-based emulsions, etc., as the adhesive layer. As will be described later, in the perforation processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is preferable that perforations are processed continuously in parallel along the conveying direction of the workpiece, and the perforated tape described above is particularly effective as the workpiece.

[0019] [Perforation processing device 100] Next, with reference to Figures 1 to 8, the perforation processing device 100 that constitutes the perforation processing system 300 of this embodiment will be described. In the following, an example will be shown in which a tape material having an adhesive layer (hereinafter also referred to as "film material FM," and in the case of a colorless and transparent tape material, it will be specifically referred to as "transparent film material TFM") is used as the workpiece, and this tape material is processed into a perforated tape used in BIB via the perforation processing system 300. As mentioned above, the film material FM of this embodiment has an adhesive layer, but the "film material FM" may also be configured without an adhesive layer.

[0020] The perforation processing device 100 has the function of imparting perforations PF to the film material FM that is fed out via a conveying means. More specifically, as can be understood from Figures 1 and 2, the perforation processing device 100 of this embodiment is composed of a plurality of conveying rolls 10, a perforation imparting means 20, a receiving roll 30, and a housing 60, etc.

[0021] The conveying roll 10 has the function of supporting the film material FM (workpiece) being conveyed. The conveying roll 10 in this embodiment is composed of an unwinding roll 11 that feeds the film material FM toward directly below the perforation blade 21, which will be described later, and a winding roll 12 that winds up the film material FM (perforated tape) to which perforations PF have been applied via the perforation blade 21.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the unwinding roll 11 comprises a rotating shaft 11a and a roll section 11b attached to the rotating shaft 11a via a known bearing. A known winding core (also called a "paper tube") on which the film material FM is wound is mounted on this roll section 11b, enabling the film material FM to be unwound and conveyed toward the take-up roll 12. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the roll section 11b; for example, various known resin materials and metal materials can be used.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the unwinding roll 11 of this embodiment has one end of the rotating shaft 11a attached to a first lateral support plate 61, which will be described later. The unwinding roll 11 is cantilevered to the first lateral support plate 61 as shown in the figures, but it may also be a double-support structure in which the other end of the rotating shaft 11a is attached to a second lateral support plate 62.

[0024] As shown in the figure, the unwinding roll 11 of this embodiment is equipped with a brake mechanism 11c that can apply tension to the conveyed film material FM. The rotational speed of the rotating shaft 11a of such a brake mechanism 11c can be adjusted, and a known friction-based structure can be applied. This allows for the application of appropriate tension to the conveyed film material FM while also adjusting the conveying speed of the film material. The purpose of applying the tension described above in the unwinding roll 11 of this embodiment is to suppress wrinkles and sagging of the film material FM, as will be described later, in order to enable the formation of good and stable perforations PF.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the perforation processing device 100 of this embodiment may further include an unwinding completion detection sensor 11d provided on the side of the unwinding roll 11, which can detect the completion of unwinding the film material FM. When the unwinding completion detection sensor 11d detects that the unwinding of the film material FM is complete, the drive of the drive source 12c, described later, can be stopped in accordance with this completion of unwinding. Such an unwinding completion detection sensor 11d can be configured, for example, with a known photoelectric sensor or image sensor. The unwinding completion detection sensor 11d of this embodiment comprises a light-emitting unit 11dx and a light-receiving unit 11dy, respectively, arranged to sandwich the film material FM being conveyed. The control device described above can determine the completion of unwinding based, for example, on a change in the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 11dy.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the winding roll 12 comprises a rotating shaft 12a and a roll section 12b attached to the rotating shaft 12a via a known bearing. A known winding core capable of winding film material FM is mounted on this roll section 12b, allowing the perforated film material FM to be wound onto the winding roll 12. The winding core can be the same paper tube on which the film material was originally wound. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the roll section 12b; for example, various known resin materials and metal materials can be used, similar to the unwinding roll 11.

[0027] Another example of the winding roll 12 is that it may be configured as a winding shaft with a tapered tip, as illustrated in Figure 13. As shown in the figure, the winding roll 12 according to another example comprises a tapered cone 12d fixed to a rotating shaft 12a and provided with a tapered tip. In this case, the winding core wc (paper tube) may be attached to the rotating shaft 12a via a core support 12f that can be inserted into the inner circumference of the winding core wc. By providing such a tapered tip to the winding shaft, axial meandering of the winding core wc during winding and slippage of the winding core wc (paper tube) itself during winding can be suppressed. The tapered cone 12d may be provided in a pair on the rotating shaft 12a with their tapered tips facing each other (see Figure 12(b)), or a positioning block 12e that can be fixed to the rotating shaft 12a may be provided on the opposite side of the tapered tip (see Figure 12(a)).

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the winding roll 12 of this embodiment has one end of the rotating shaft 12a attached to the first lateral support plate 61. The winding roll 12 is cantilevered to the first lateral support plate 61 as shown in the figures, but it may also be a double-support structure in which the other end of the rotating shaft 12a is attached to the second lateral support plate 62 as well.

[0029] As shown in the figure, the winding roll 12 of this embodiment is equipped with a drive source 12c that transports the film material FM between the transport rolls 10. Such a drive source 12c can be a known electric motor that can rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 12a.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the perforation processing device 100 of this embodiment may further include a pressing roll 12g. The pressing roll 12g is provided near the winding roll 12. The pressing roll 12g is configured to be able to press against the film material FM on the roll section 12b via a known drive mechanism (such as an air cylinder). When the perforation processing device 100 further includes a pressing roll 12g, the processed film material FM with perforations PF can be collected by the winding roll 12 while suppressing the generation of wrinkles and air bubbles. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the roll surface of the pressing roll 12g; for example, the same material as the winding roll 12 or rubber material may be used.

[0031] The conveyor roll 10 may further include a first idler roll 13 interposed between the unwinding roll 11 and the perforation means 20, and a second idler roll 14 interposed between the perforation means 20 and the winding roll 12. By including the above-described idler rolls in the conveyor roll 10, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of perforation processing while allowing for greater flexibility in the layout design of the device.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first idler roll 13 is composed of a rotating shaft 13a and a roll portion 13b attached to the rotating shaft 13a via a known bearing. The film material FM is in contact with the roll portion 13b during transport. In particular, if the film material FM has an adhesive layer, it is preferable that the material of the roll portion 13b be a non-adhesive material. In this embodiment, the roll portion 13b may be, for example, a metal material with knurling on its surface, a resin material similar to the unwinding roll 11, or a known silicone-based roll.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first idler roll 13 of this embodiment has one end of the rotating shaft 13a attached to the first lateral support plate 61. The first idler roll 13 is cantilevered to the first lateral support plate 61 as shown in the figures, but it may also be a double-support structure in which the other end of the rotating shaft 13a is attached to the second lateral support plate 62 as well.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the second idler roll 14 is composed of a rotating shaft 14a and a roll section 14b attached to the rotating shaft 14a via a known bearing. The film material FM, which has been perforated and is being transported, comes into contact with the roll section 14b. The material of the roll section 14b is preferably the same as that of the roll section 13b described above. The second idler roll 14 may be installed at a higher installation height (height in the vertical direction) than the first idler roll 13, as illustrated in Figure 1, or it may be installed at the same installation height as the first idler roll 13, as illustrated in Figure 4.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the perforation processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment may further include a removal device 40 provided near the second idler roll 14, which is capable of removing foreign matter in close proximity to the film material FM on the roll section 14b. An example of such a removal device 40 is a known suction device connected to a vacuum source (not shown). Furthermore, the second idler roll 14 may have a double-support structure, similar to the first idler roll 13 described above, in which the other end of the rotating shaft 14a is also attached to the second lateral support plate 62.

[0036] As will be described later, in this embodiment, perforation is performed with the perforation blade 21 embedded in the roll material 32. Therefore, if the perforation processing device 100 is equipped with a removal device 40, it is possible to suck up any dust (foreign matter) from the roll that adheres to the film material FM. In this embodiment, the removal device 40 is provided for the second idler roll 14, but it may also be installed for the receiving roll 30 or the winding roll 12. For example, if the removal device 40 is installed for the receiving roll 30, it is possible to remove any foreign matter that adheres to the blade receiving surface RF of the roll material 32.

[0037] The perforation means 20 is positioned between the transport rolls 10 and has the function of imparting perforations PF to the film material FM via the perforation blades 21. In particular, the perforation means 20 of this embodiment imparts perforations PF to the film material FM by engaging the cutting edge CE of the perforation blades 21 with the blade receiving surface RF of the receiving roll 30 (roll material 32). When the film material FM has an adhesive layer, it is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing the accumulation of adhesive on the receiving roll 30, etc., that the perforation blades 21 are positioned on the side of the film material FM where the adhesive layer is located and the receiving roll 30 is positioned on the non-adhesive side. Furthermore, it is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing the adhesion of foreign matter such as dust and improving the usability when using the wound tape, that the perforation means 20 is positioned on the lower side in the z direction and the receiving roll 30 is positioned on the upper side.

[0038] More specifically, the perforation means 20 of this embodiment, as can be understood from Figures 2 to 4, comprises a perforation blade 21, a blade movement mechanism 22 that moves the perforation blade 21 closer to and further away from the blade receiving surface RF of the receiving roll 30, and a stopper 23 provided on the receiving roll 30 side that restricts the movement of the perforation blade 21 so that the blade tip bites into the film material to a predetermined depth.

[0039] As shown in the figure, the perforating blade 21 is a circular component in which blades are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumference of a disc-shaped base material. Known shapes and materials of perforating cutters may be used as the base material for the perforating blade 21. Furthermore, the cutting edge of the perforating blade 21 may be coated with a non-adhesive coating to prevent the film material of this embodiment from adhering to it.

[0040] As an example of such a non-stick coating, a silicone-based coating with a pencil hardness of about 9H or a fluorine-based coating with a pencil hardness of about 5H to 9H (particularly 6H to 9H is preferred) may be applied. Furthermore, the film thickness of the above-mentioned non-stick coating is preferably 2 μm or less, and more preferably 1 μm or less. This is because a thinner film thickness of the non-stick coating helps maintain the sharpness of the blade. In addition, by applying the above-mentioned non-stick coating, it is possible to further prevent the accumulation of adhesive on the blade, the deterioration of sharpness, and consequently, the deterioration of appearance.

[0041] In this embodiment, the perforation blade 21 preferably has a plurality of perforation blades arranged side by side at predetermined intervals so that the perforations PF extend along the transport direction (X direction in the figures) of the transported film material. More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the perforation blade 21 of this embodiment comprises a first perforation blade 21A capable of imparting a first perforation to the film material, a second perforation blade 21B positioned differently from the first perforation blade 21A and capable of imparting a second perforation parallel to the first perforation to the film material, and a third perforation blade 21C positioned differently from the first perforation blade 21A and the second perforation blade 21B and capable of imparting a third perforation parallel to the first perforation, etc. As described above, the perforation blade 21 of this embodiment has a triple blade structure arranged coaxially along the Y direction. However, it may also be a structure consisting of a single perforation blade (for example, the first perforation blade 21A) (in which case a row of perforations PF is formed on the film material), or a structure in which at least two perforation blades are arranged along the Y direction.

[0042] Furthermore, when using multiple perforation blades, it is preferable that the blades are offset in the X direction. This is because it is easier to tear the tape when multiple rows of perforations are formed in a staggered pattern, rather than when multiple perforations are formed in parallel and in the same pattern. Furthermore, although the perforation blade 21 in this embodiment is positioned so that the perforations PF extend along the transport direction of the transported film material, the perforation blade 21 may also be positioned so that the perforations PF extend intersecting the transport direction. In this case, the perforations PF are applied to the film material while moving intermittently along the transport direction of the film material.

[0043] Furthermore, if the receiving roll 30, which will be described later, is elastic, the perforating blades 21 will bite into the roll material 32 when perforations PF are applied to the film material. Therefore, taking into account the reaction force when biting in and the deformation of the roll material, the height of the cutting edge of the central perforating blade (the second perforating blade 21B in this example) among the three perforating blades 21 arranged coaxially along the Y direction may be set higher than the height of the cutting edges of the side perforating blades (the first perforating blade 21A and the third perforating blade 21C in this example).

[0044] The blade movement mechanism 22 has the function of holding the perforating blade 21 described above, and the function of moving the perforating blade 21 toward the receiving roll 30 or retracting it from the receiving roll 30. As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the blade movement mechanism 22 of this embodiment is composed of a support part 22a that rotatably supports the perforating blade 21, a base plate 22b on which the support part 22a is mounted, a rod 22c connected to the base plate 22b, and a cylinder body 22d that raises and lowers the rod 22c. As shown in Figure 2, the perforating blade 21 of this embodiment is supported by the support part 22a, and has a double-support structure in which both ends of the shaft are supported. Furthermore, by making the receiving roll 30, which will be described later, a double-support structure, the way the perforations are made can be stabilized.

[0045] As a result, the blade moving mechanism 22 moves the perforating blade 21 supported by the support part 22a (up and down in this example along the vertical direction) by moving the base plate 22b by cylinder drive. In this embodiment, since a tape material having an adhesive layer is used as the film material FM, the perforating blade 21 is positioned vertically below the receiving roll 30 and moves up and down via the blade moving mechanism 22. However, the perforating blade 21 may be positioned vertically above the receiving roll 30 and move up and down via the blade moving mechanism 22. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, the blade moving mechanism 22 is configured so that the perforating blade 21 moves from vertically below to vertically above. However, if the perforating blade 21 is positioned above the receiving roll 30, for example, the receiving roll 30 may be fixed while the perforating blade 21 moves from vertically above to vertically below.

[0046] The stopper portion 23 is a part provided on the upper end side of the support portion 22a and functions as a stopper. The stopper portion 23 can be made of, for example, a metal material or a hard resin material. The stopper portion 23 may be integrally formed with the support portion 22a via a bearing (as part of the support portion 22a). As described above, in this embodiment, a cylinder mechanism (such as an air cylinder) is used to move the perforation blade 21, and it is conceivable that variations may occur in the stroke end of this cylinder. In particular, in cases where perforations are formed in multiple rows on the film material FM, if multiple perforation blades 21 are provided coaxially, variations in the finish of the perforations may occur due to dimensional tolerances of each component.

[0047] In contrast, in this embodiment, when the blade movement mechanism 22 receives the perforation blade 21 and moves (rises) it toward the roll 30, the stopper portion 23 on the blade side interferes with the stopper portion 33 on the roll side, which will be described later, and stops the movement (rise) of the perforation blade 21. In this way, the perforation means 20 of this embodiment is equipped with a stopper portion 23 which is a mechanical limiter, so that the rise of the perforation blade 21 is mechanically stopped before it reaches the stroke end of the cylinder. This absorbs the dimensional tolerances of each part and fixes the relative position of the perforation blade 21 and the roll material 32 with good reproducibility, and the position of the outer diameter of the roll material 32 and the cutting edge CE of the perforation blade 21 can be kept constant with good reproducibility.

[0048] Furthermore, the perforation processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment may also be equipped with a position detection sensor 24, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The position detection sensor 24 has the function of detecting the upper end of the rising perforation blade 21 and monitoring the relative position between the perforation blade 21 and the roll material 32. More specifically, the position detection sensor 24 of this embodiment can detect the displacement of the cutting edge CE on the perforation blade 21, based on the point when the contact stopper 23 and the contact stopper 33 come into contact and the relative position between the perforation blade 21 and the roll material 32 is determined. Specific examples of such a position detection sensor 24 include, for example, a known contact-type sensor with a detection accuracy of about 1 μm, or a non-contact-type sensor using a laser, etc. This allows for constant monitoring of the relative position of the cutting edge CE of the perforation blade 21 in the direction of movement (in this example, the vertical Z direction) in preparation for variations in the cylinder.

[0049] The receiving roll 30 is positioned opposite the perforation blade 21 so as to sandwich the film material being conveyed by the conveying roll 10. The receiving roll 30 allows the perforation blade 21 to bite into the film material by a predetermined amount during perforation. More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the receiving roll 30 of this embodiment is composed of a support shaft 31, a roll material 32 mounted on the support shaft 31 via a known bearing, and a contact portion 33 supported by the support shaft 31 and capable of contacting the contact portion 23 on the perforation blade side.

[0050] The support shaft 31 is supported at one end by the first lateral support plate 61 and at the other end by the second lateral support plate 62. Thus, the receiving roll 30 of this embodiment has a double-support structure in which both ends are supported by support plates. The support shaft 31 also has the function of pivotally supporting the roll material 32 via a known bearing so that the roll material 32 can rotate.

[0051] The roll material 32 is configured so that the cutting edge CE of the perforation blade 21 can bite into it when perforating the film material. As the material for such a roll material 32, a known non-adhesive or non-stick silicone resin is optimal and preferable in terms of operational aspects such as durability, but other known non-adhesive or non-stick elastic resin materials may also be used. This is to prevent tape breakage due to adhesive by suppressing the adhesion and accumulation of adhesive material attached to the blade on the roll. Furthermore, as will be described later, from the viewpoint of suppressing wrinkles in the film material, it is preferable that the surface of the roll material 32 be flat (a solid shape without grooves) without any grooves or other features formed thereon. This makes it possible to create good perforations without causing wrinkles in the film material. By keeping the surface of the roll material 32 flat without forming grooves or other features, the tension of the film material can be maintained well. If the tension described above cannot be maintained, problems may arise such as wrinkles or sagging in the film material resulting in a poor appearance, or adhesive material coming into contact with the side of the blade, causing glue to accumulate on the perforation blade.

[0052] The stopper portion 33 works in cooperation with the stopper portion 23 described above to define the position of the perforation blade 21 when perforating the film material FM. Since the stopper portion 33 is mounted on the support shaft 31 described above, it may have a disc-shaped outer form as shown in the figure. The stopper portion 33 can be made of a metal material or a hard resin material, for example. As shown in the figure, it is more preferable that the pair of stopper portions 23 and stopper portion 33 be provided on both sides of the perforation blade 21 so as to sandwich the perforation blade 21, from the viewpoint of improving rigidity and durability.

[0053] The housing 60 has the function of supporting the perforation processing device 100 and the perforation inspection device 200, which will be described later. As can be understood from Figures 1 and 2, the housing 60 of this embodiment is composed of a first lateral support plate 61, a second lateral support plate 62, a bottom support plate 63, and an inspection machine support column 64, etc.

[0054] As shown in Figure 2, the first lateral support plate 61 is installed on the right side in the transport direction (X direction) and is configured to support one end of the receiving roll 30. As shown in the same figure, the second lateral support plate 62 is installed on the left side in the transport direction (X direction) and is configured to support the other end of the receiving roll 30. The bottom support plate 63 is connected at both ends to the first lateral support plate 61 and the second lateral support plate 62, respectively, and the cylinder body 22d is placed on it. In this embodiment, the bottom support plate 63 has a double-support structure with both ends supported by the lateral support plates, so the blade moving mechanism 22 (perforation blade 21) supported by this bottom support plate 63 also maintains its function as a double-support structure. The inspection machine support column 64 is connected, for example, to the first lateral support plate 61 and is configured to support the removal device 40 and the imaging device 50 as shown in Figure 1.

[0055] <How the blade bites into the roll during perforation> Next, with reference to Figure 6(a), the manner in which the perforating blade 21 of the receiving roll 30 bites into the roll material 32 will be described. As described above, the perforating means 20 of this embodiment bites the cutting edge CE of the perforating blade 21 into the surface (cutting surface RF) of the roll material 32 to perform perforation on the film material. That is, when perforating the film material, as shown in the figure, the cutting edge CE of the perforating blade 21 bites into the surface (cutting surface RF) of the roll material 32 by a predetermined depth of biting amount BA.

[0056] The specific value of the penetration depth BA at a predetermined depth can vary depending on the material and thickness of the film material FM, the material of the roll material 32, or the specifications of the perforations PF, but it is preferably around 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. Furthermore, the specific penetration depth BA may be appropriately determined through experiments or simulations based on the specifications of the perforations PF.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, when perforating, the cutting edge CE of the perforating blade 21 bites into the blade receiving surface RF of the roll material 32 to a predetermined depth (set to 1.0 mm in this example), making it possible to stably apply perforations PF while suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the film material FM, as shown in Figure 6(b). Furthermore, by making the perforating blade 21 bite into the receiving roll, slippage in the X direction between the film material FM and the perforating blade 21 can be prevented, thus preventing some perforations from breaking and making it possible to apply stable perforations PF. However, as shown in Figures 6(b) and (c), if a groove 32g into which the perforating blade 21 can be inserted is formed in the roll material 32, there is a limit to how much tension can be maintained in the film material FM, so although perforations PF can be formed, there is a concern that wrinkles may occur in the film material FM. From this viewpoint, unless the film material FM is made of a material that is resistant to wrinkles, it is more desirable for the blade receiving surface RF of the roll material 32 to be a solid shape without a groove 32g, as described above.

[0058] As described above, the perforation apparatus of this embodiment is designed so that the cutting edge of the perforation blade bites into the blade receiving surface of the receiving roll when perforating the film material. This makes it possible to form stable perforations on the film material FM without any breakage or incomplete perforations.

[0059] [Perforation inspection device 200] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 9 to 11, the perforation inspection device 200 that constitutes the perforation processing system 300 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in these figures, the perforation inspection device 200 of this embodiment is configured to have the function of determining whether the perforations PF applied to the transparent film material TFM are good or bad.

[0060] More specifically, the perforation inspection device 200 of this embodiment includes a transport roll 10 for transporting the perforated transparent film material TFM transported from the perforation providing means 20, and an imaging device 50 for imaging the perforated transparent film material TFM. The perforation inspection device 200 may be attached to the perforation processing device 100 described above.

[0061] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the imaging device 50 includes a camera 51 as an imaging means capable of imaging the transparent film material TFM, an illumination means 52 capable of irradiating illumination light horizontally toward the transparent film material TFM from a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (sideways), and an anti-reflective plate 53 positioned in the imaging area of ​​the camera 51 directly beneath the transparent film material TFM.

[0062] A known monochrome camera is suitable as the camera 51 for this embodiment, and as an example, a 16x speed, 2-megapixel monochrome camera (CA-H200M) manufactured by Keyence Corporation was used. Although a 2-megapixel camera is used in this embodiment, the system is not limited to this configuration, and a high-resolution camera with more than 2 megapixels may be used. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the monochrome camera described above is placed directly above the transparent film material TFM, and the perforations in the film passing directly beneath the camera are imaged. If the transparent film material TFM is a tape material with an adhesive layer, the camera 51 in this embodiment is configured to image from the non-adhesive side of the tape material so that the adhesive layer is at the back.

[0063] Furthermore, a known light capable of emitting white light is suitable as the illumination means 52, and as an example, a white bar illumination (CA-DBW12W) manufactured by Keyence Corporation was used. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the above-mentioned white bar illumination is installed in a position parallel to the transport direction (X direction) of the transparent film material TFM, and the illumination light is irradiated from the side of the film. By irradiating the film from the side in this way, it becomes possible to emphasize and image only the perforations in the film, enabling highly accurate abnormality detection of the perforations.

[0064] As shown in Figure 9, it is preferable that the white bar illumination, which serves as the illumination means 52, is positioned directly to the side of the transparent film material TFM (on the same XY plane as the film, with the illumination light irradiated at an incident angle of 0°). However, if the above-mentioned sideways position is defined as 0°, the illumination light may be irradiated at an angle of incident θx to the transparent film material TFM.

[0065] In other words, in this embodiment, illumination light may be irradiated non-horizontally from the illumination means 52 positioned to the side of the transported transparent film material TFM toward the lateral end SE (see Figure 9, etc.), to the extent that it does not cause halation as described later. Such an incident angle θx can be determined to be suitable through various experiments conducted with great care. When the horizontal direction is set to 0° with the transparent film material TFM as the reference point and the downward vertical direction is set to negative, a range of -40° to +20° is preferred, and a range of ±1°, which is nearly horizontal, is even more preferable. By setting the incident angle θx to a range of -40° to +20°, halation of the illumination light on the transparent film material TFM can be suppressed. As mentioned above, the degree of halation differs between the non-adhesive surface and the adhesive surface. For the non-adhesive surface with high gloss, the incident angle θx can be set up to +20°, while for the non-adhesive surface with less gloss compared to the non-adhesive surface, halation can be suppressed at an incident angle θx of up to -40°.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, it is preferable that the white bar illumination, which serves as the illumination means 52, be positioned not only to the transparent film material TFM but also directly beside the camera 51 (to the side of the camera 51 with respect to the Y direction perpendicular to the transport direction). However, the illumination may also be positioned such that the light is directed at the transparent film material TFM at an incident angle θz without any elevation (Z) in the height direction from the aforementioned beside position.

[0067] Such an incident angle θz can be determined to be suitable through various experiments conducted with great care. It is preferably in the horizontal direction that includes the transparent film material TFM, and when the Y-axis position relative to the camera 51 is taken as 0° and the position when swung in the positive X direction is taken as negative, the range is preferably from -30° to +30°, and more preferably in the range of ±1°, which is almost directly beside the camera 51. By setting the incident angle θz in the range of -30° to +30°, halation of the illumination light on the transparent film material TFM can be suppressed.

[0068] The incident angles θx and θz described above may be changed within the above range during imaging of the transparent film material TFM via the camera 51. That is, the white bar illumination as the illumination means 52 may be configured to be driveable via a known drive mechanism (not shown) such as a rack and pinion or an air cylinder, and the camera 51 may image the transparent film material illuminated by the illumination light while changing the incident angle of the illumination light onto the transparent film material TFM from horizontal. This makes it possible to suppress halation of the illumination light while making the image of the perforations clearer. Alternatively, the camera 51 may measure the illuminance, recognize that halation has occurred when the illuminance exceeds a threshold, and drive the white bar illumination to a position where halation does not occur.

[0069] The anti-reflective plate 53 is positioned directly below the camera 51 and below the transparent film material TFM. The anti-reflective plate 53 has the function of suppressing reflection from below the transparent film material TFM. In this embodiment, a known black plate can be used as the anti-reflective plate 53. By equipping the imaging device 50 with a black plate as the anti-reflective plate 53, it becomes easier to distinguish perforations in the captured image.

[0070] <Method for detecting abnormalities in perforated tape> Next, with reference to Figure 11, the method for detecting abnormalities in perforated tape in this embodiment using the perforation inspection device 200 described above will be explained. The abnormality detection method described below can be, for example, in the form of a program readable as software built into the inspection camera controller, and can execute a tool within the software built into the inspection camera controller.

[0071] In this embodiment, the method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing involves the following steps to detect abnormalities in the perforations PF of a transparent film material TFM to which perforations PF have been applied. The transparent film material TFM has first to third perforations that extend along the transport direction (X direction in the figure) and are arranged in the Y direction. The number of perforations arranged in the Y direction does not have to be three as shown in the figure; it may be one or at least two. As described above, when the perforation blade 21 is composed of a single blade, a single perforation PF is formed on the transparent film material TFM.

[0072] More specifically, in the method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the transparent film material TFM with perforations PF is first transported along the transport direction. As a result, the transparent film material TFM with perforations PF moves directly below the camera 51. In parallel with the transport of the transparent film material TFM, the illumination means 52 described above is used to irradiate illumination light toward the lateral end SE of the transparent film material TFM in a direction intersecting the transport direction (X direction). As is clear from Figure 9, in the abnormality detection method of this embodiment, illumination light is irradiated horizontally toward the lateral end SE from the illumination means 52 (white bar illumination) positioned to the side of the transported transparent film material TFM.

[0073] Then, the camera 51, which serves as the imaging means described above, captures an image of the transparent film material TFM while it is illuminated by illumination light, and detects abnormalities in the perforations PF based on the image of the transparent film material TFM. At this time, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the camera 51 captures an image of the transparent film material TFM while it is illuminated by illumination light, with the anti-reflective plate 53 (black plate) positioned directly below the imaging means and below the transparent film material TFM. As an example of an anomaly detection method, as shown in Figure 11(a), a rectangular inspection frame IF is set for each perforation, extending in the transport direction and covering multiple perforations PF. Within each inspection frame IF, if the white area (the sum of the areas of the seven perforations PF in this example) is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the product is judged to be good. If it is less than the predetermined value, the product is judged to be defective, with an anomaly in one of the perforations within the inspection frame IF (see Figure 11(b)).

[0074] Since the shape of the perforation blade 21 is known, instead of the above-described method example, an abnormality in the perforations within the inspection frame IF may be determined by, for example, performing image analysis using AI (artificial intelligence) machine learning to compare the shape of each perforation PF within the inspection frame IF with a pre-held standard shape (good product shape). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11(a), the perforations PF applied to the film material FM by the perforation processing device 100 of this embodiment are arranged in a total of three parallel lines extending in the transport direction, and are formed at different phases such that the positions of each perforation are offset with respect to the X direction. By arranging multiple perforations PF at different pitches in this way, for example, when the film material FM is used as a joining tape material in a BIB, it becomes possible to stably separate individual packaging bags during BIB manufacturing.

[0075] In this embodiment, the transparent film material TFM has at least a first and second perforation line arranged parallel to the transport direction (a total of three rows, including a third perforation line in this example), and the perforation lines PF are imaged from above the film using a monochrome camera while illumination light is shone horizontally onto the transparent film material TFM from a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. This makes it possible to perform highly accurate abnormality detection while highlighting the perforation lines PF in each row.

[0076] In this embodiment, air bubbles may form on the transparent film material TFM used during manufacturing. In particular, when the transparent film material TFM has an adhesive layer (tape material with an adhesive layer as the workpiece), air bubbles may be present before the perforation process. This is because when tape material with an adhesive layer is wound into a roll, air bubbles may get trapped between the adhesive layer and the tape surface (glossy surface), and these bubbles remain as air bubble marks even after the tape is rolled. When the transparent film material TFM containing air bubble marks is imaged by the camera 51, there is a possibility that these air bubble marks may be mistakenly identified as perforations during abnormality detection. Therefore, in the perforation abnormality detection method of this embodiment, a preprocessing step may be added to the image acquired by the camera 51 to detect only linear perforations.

[0077] The shape of the perforations can be known in advance as linear shapes obtained with a known perforating blade. Therefore, such preprocessing can be achieved by installing a program in the control device described above that preferentially extracts linear shapes of pre-stored straight lines or shapes with a high degree of similarity to those linear shapes (these linear shapes that correlate highly with perforations are collectively referred to as linear shapes) as perforation PFs. Specifically, by removing background noise information in the image, only the linear information can be highlighted. This makes it possible to suppress false detections by removing bubble marks, which are not linear shapes, as background noise. In other words, the control device described above may perform abnormality detection at the perforations PF of each row based on an image edited by removing shapes other than linear shapes from the image obtained by the camera 51. Thus, in the abnormality detection method of this embodiment, a preprocessing step may be performed in which linear shapes applied to the transparent film material TFM are extracted as perforations PF during the imaging step of the transparent film material TFM.

[0078] The embodiments described above are merely examples that embody the spirit of the present invention, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, known structures and methods may be added and modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0079] <Variation> A modified example of the perforation processing device 110 will be described below with reference to Figure 12. In the embodiment described above, the blade moving mechanism 22 moved the three perforating blades 21 (first perforating blade 21A to third perforating blade 21C) as a whole. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and each perforating blade 21 may be moved independently toward the receiving roll 30.

[0080] More specifically, the perforation processing device 110 of this modified example is equipped with a moving mechanism 25 that moves the first perforation blade 21A, the second perforation blade 21B, and the third perforation blade 21C independently of each other when perforating the film material FM, causing the respective blade tips CE to bite into the blade receiving surface RF of the receiving roll 30.

[0081] As shown in the figure, the moving mechanism 25 for moving the first perforating blade 21A and the third perforating blade 21C may, for example, be composed of known electric motors or rotary actuators, respectively, and configured to swing each perforating blade toward the receiving roll 30 with respect to a pivot point RP. Alternatively, the moving mechanism 25 for moving the second perforating blade 21B may be configured to move the second perforating blade 21B linearly toward the receiving roll 30 using the cylinder mechanism shown in the above embodiment. Thus, in these modified examples, the moving mechanism 25 may move each perforating blade 21 by moving it linearly up and down, or by swinging it in a curved manner.

[0082] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, since the structure is such that multiple perforating blades 21 approach or move away from the receiving roll 30 from different directions, it is preferable that the first idler roll 13 and the second idler roll 14 in the modified example are positioned further away from the perforating blades 21 than the receiving roll 30 (in this example, they are provided vertically above the receiving roll 30). This makes it possible to accurately perforate the film material FM without making the apparatus layout excessive. In addition, since each perforating blade 21 can move relative to the receiving roll 30 from different directions, it is also possible to individually adjust or control the biting amount BA of multiple perforating blades 21, and to form optimal perforations in multiple rows. [Industrial applicability]

[0083] The present invention can be used, for example, in a device for creating perforations in a strip of film or for detecting abnormalities in those perforations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 100, 110 Perforation processing device 10 Conveyor Rolls 20 Perforation-making means 30 Receiving Roll 40 Removal device 50 Imaging device 60 cabinets 200 Perforation Inspection Device 300 Perforation Processing System

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormalities in perforations in a transparent film material to which perforations have been applied, A process of conveying the perforated transparent film material along the conveying direction, A step of irradiating illumination light toward the lateral edge of the transparent film material in a direction intersecting the transport direction, A step of imaging the transparent film material while it is illuminated with the illumination light via an imaging means, A step of detecting an abnormality in the perforation based on the imaging results of the transparent film material, A method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing on a transparent film material, characterized by including the following:

2. The illumination light is shone from an illumination means positioned to the side of the transparent film material being transported toward the side edge. The method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing according to claim 1, wherein the angle of incidence of the illumination light onto the transparent film material is in the range of -40° to 20° when the horizontal direction with respect to the transparent film material is defined as 0°.

3. The method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transparent film material, when illuminated by the illumination light, is imaged by the imaging means with an anti-reflective plate positioned directly below the imaging means and below the transparent film material.

4. The method for detecting abnormalities in perforation processing according to claim 3, wherein in the step of imaging the transparent film material, a preprocessing step is performed to extract linear shapes applied to the transparent film material as perforations.

Images