Radiation Inspection Equipment

Abstract

To provide a radiation inspection device that can clearly photograph inspection parts even when an obstacle preventing the photographing of the inspection parts is present inside an object to be inspected.SOLUTION: A radiation inspection device comprises: a conveyor 1 that conveys an object to be inspected; an obstacle checking unit A that is provided on a route of the conveyor 1; and an inspection unit that is provided on the subsequent stage of the obstacle checking unit A. The obstacle checking unit A includes radiation generators 2 and radiation detectors 3 that are arranged sandwiching the object to be inspected on the conveyor 1 and photograph an obstacle that prevents photographing of inspection parts of the object to be inspected. The obstacle checking unit A includes first belts for rotation 4 and second belts for rotation 5 that are arranged on both sides of the conveyor 1 and can be operated at different speeds from each other while sandwiching the object to be inspected on the conveyor 1. The first belts for rotation 4 and second belts for rotation 5 rotate the object to be inspected to an angle suitable for the photographing of the inspection parts according to the angle of the obstacle photographed by the obstacle checking unit A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a radiological inspection device that inspects an object having a wound structure inside, such as a cylindrical or prismatic battery or capacitor, for misalignment of the winding or the presence of foreign matter. [Background technology]

[0002] Known examples of radiological inspection devices for inspecting the internal structure of an object such as a battery include those shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2. This type of radiological inspection device inspects the internal structure of an object by irradiating the object with radiation such as X-rays while it is being transported by a conveyor at regular intervals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-80284 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-53778 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of radiological inspection device, the object to be inspected is irradiated with radiation from a radiation generator while it is still placed on a conveyor, and the radiation that passes through the inspection area is detected by a detector. However, when imaging the inspection area of ​​the object, depending on the angle at which the object is placed on the conveyor, parts of the object may overlap with the inspection area.

[0005] In (a) and (b) of FIG. 4A, a lithium-ion battery 100 is the object to be inspected, and its upper portion 101 and lower portion 102 are the inspection area. Plate-shaped positive electrode tab 103 and negative electrode tab 104 are provided inside the battery 100. The positive electrode tab 103 is connected to an external terminal 105, and the negative electrode tab 104 is connected to the inner bottom surface of the battery 100. In such an object to be inspected, if the tabs 103 and 104 are at an angle that intersects with the optical axis of the radiation, as shown in (a) of FIG. 4A, the tabs 103 and 104 overlap with the inspection area, making it impossible to obtain a clear image of the inspection area. In order to obtain a clear image, it is preferable to irradiate radiation at a position where the radiation irradiation direction is the same as that of the plate-shaped tabs 103 and 104, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4A.

[0006] In particular, in radiographic images of the battery, the aluminum positive electrode tab 103 has a linear attenuation coefficient that does not cause any problems even if it overlaps with the electrode, but the nickel negative electrode tab 104 has a linear attenuation coefficient that causes problems in identifying the image when it overlaps with the electrode. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the circumferential angle of the battery so that the negative electrode tab does not overlap with the electrode in the radiographic images of the battery.

[0007] This problem is not limited to when the object being inspected is a lithium-ion battery, but is similar to other objects being inspected. If the object being inspected is not placed at a specific angle, other parts may get in the way and make it impossible to photograph the inspection area clearly.

[0008] This embodiment has been proposed to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above. The purpose of this embodiment is to provide a radiological examination apparatus that, when an obstruction that prevents imaging of the examination region is present inside the examination object, can rotate the examination object and move the obstruction to a position where it does not interfere with imaging of the examination region, thereby enabling clear imaging of the examination region. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A radiological inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. (1) A conveyor for transporting the object to be inspected, and an obstruction check unit provided on the path of the conveyor. (2) In the obstruction confirmation unit, a radiation generator and a radiation detector are arranged on either side of the object to be inspected on the conveyor, and photograph obstructions that hinder the photographing of the inspection portion of the object to be inspected. (3) In the obstruction checking section, a first rotating belt and a second rotating belt are arranged on both sides of the conveyor and are operable at different speeds while sandwiching the object to be inspected on the conveyor. (4) An angle determination unit that detects the difference between the angle at which the obstruction was photographed and the angle suitable for radiological inspection of the obstruction, based on the image data of the obstruction photographed by the obstruction confirmation unit. (5) A belt control unit that individually controls the operating speeds of the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt in accordance with the difference detected by the angle determination unit so that the object to be inspected rotates to an angle suitable for photographing the inspection area.

[0010] In the embodiment, the following configuration may be provided. (1) The obstruction checking unit also serves as an inspection unit for photographing the inspection site of the inspection object. (2) In addition to the inspection unit, another inspection unit is provided for photographing an object other than the object to be inspected, and the other inspection unit is provided with a radiation generator and a radiation detector. (3) The inspection unit that also serves as the obstruction checking unit is a lower battery inspection unit, and the other inspection unit is an upper battery inspection unit. (4) The inspection unit is provided with a first rotating belt and a second rotating belt that are arranged on both sides of the conveyor and can operate at different speeds while sandwiching the object to be inspected on the conveyor. (5) Each of the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt includes an upper rope that contacts the upper part of the object to be inspected and a lower rope that contacts the lower part of the object to be inspected. (6) A gap adjustment mechanism is provided that moves the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt in the width direction of the conveyor to increase or decrease the gap between the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt. (7) The object to be inspected is provided with a holder that holds the object to be inspected on a conveyor. (8) The holder has a circular outer surface, and the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt rotate the object to be inspected while sandwiching the holder portion therebetween. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inspection flow of an object to be inspected in the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an obstruction checking unit and lower inspection unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper inspection unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] In the first embodiment, this is a cross-sectional view showing the upper part of a battery, which is an example of an object to be inspected, where (a) shows the state in which the negative electrode tab is in the way, and (b) shows the state in which the negative electrode tab is not in the way. [Figure 4B] 3A and 3B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing a method for controlling the rotation of a battery in the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing the upper part of a battery, which is an example of an object to be inspected in the second embodiment, in which (a) shows a state in which the negative electrode tab is displayed, and (b) shows a state in which the negative electrode tab is not displayed. [Figure 5B] 10A and 10B are plan views showing a method for controlling battery rotation in the second embodiment, where (a) shows the case where the negative electrode tab is present in the perspective image area, and (b) shows the case where the negative electrode tab is present near the center of the battery. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation angle of the negative electrode tab and the battery in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [1. First embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of the embodiment] The radiological inspection device of this embodiment uses a cylindrical battery 100 as the object to be inspected, and inspects the overlapping state of the positive and negative electrodes located at the top and bottom of the battery 100. Plate-shaped positive electrode tabs 103 and negative electrode tabs 104 are provided at the top and bottom inside the object to be inspected, and depending on the angle of the battery 100, the negative electrode tab 104 may interfere with radiographic imaging. This embodiment will be described using an X-ray inspection device as an example, but it can also be applied to other radiological inspection devices. In this embodiment, inspection items to be performed include measuring the distance between the positive and negative electrodes and beading.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1A to 1C, the radiation inspection device comprises a conveyor 1 that transports batteries 100, which are objects to be inspected, an obstruction confirmation unit A that is installed on the path of the conveyor 1, and an upper inspection unit B that is installed after the obstruction confirmation unit A. The obstruction confirmation unit A also serves as a lower inspection unit that photographs the lower part of the object to be inspected. The upper inspection unit B photographs the upper part of the object to be inspected. An object supply unit C is installed before the obstruction confirmation unit A, and an object discharge unit D is installed after the upper inspection unit B.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2 , the batteries 100 are transported by the conveyor 1 from the supply unit C at a random angle. Therefore, the position of the negative electrode tab 104 in each battery 100 cannot be directly observed because it is inside the battery 100, but it varies for each battery 100 during transport. In this embodiment, the obstruction check unit A detects the angle of the negative electrode tab 104, and the battery 100 is rotated on the conveyor 1 so that the negative electrode tab 104 is in a position that does not interfere with radiography, i.e., so that the negative electrode tab 104 is in a position that aligns with the direction of radiation irradiation. This eliminates imaging problems caused by the negative electrode tab 104 when the obstruction check unit A photographs the lower part of the battery 100 and when the upper inspection unit B photographs the upper part of the battery 100.

[0015] In this embodiment, the conveyor 1 is a belt conveyor with a flat conveying surface. The conveyor 1 is supported on a base 1a installed on the floor and driven by a conveyor motor 1b provided on the base 1a. Other types of conveyors may be used, such as a conveyor with a stopper or recess for holding the object to be inspected, or a conveyor 1 with an object holder H integrated into the conveying surface. The batteries 100 may be placed directly on the conveyor 1, but in this embodiment, each battery 100 is placed on the conveyor 1 while being supported by a holder H.

[0016] A radiation generator 2 and a radiation detector 3 are provided in each of the obstruction confirmation unit A and the upper inspection unit B. In the obstruction confirmation unit A, the radiation generator 2 and the radiation detector 3 are positioned on either side of the battery 100 on the conveyor 1, and photograph the negative electrode tab 104 inside the battery 100. Because the negative electrode tab 104, which acts as an obstruction, is provided below the battery 100, and because the obstruction confirmation unit A also serves as the lower inspection unit, the heights of the radiation generator 2 and the radiation detector 3 are set so that the optical axis of the radiation is positioned below the battery 100, as shown in FIG. 3A.

[0017] In the upper inspection unit B, the condition of the upper part 101 of the upper part of the battery 100 is inspected, and as shown in Fig. 3B, the heights of the radiation generator 2 and the radiation detector 3 are set so that the optical axis of the radiation is positioned above the battery 100. In this embodiment, a general flat-type detector is used as the radiation detector 3 of the obstruction confirmation unit A and the upper inspection unit B, but a TDI line sensor camera can also be used.

[0018] A first rotating belt 4 and a second rotating belt 5 are provided in each of the obstruction confirmation section A, upper inspection section B, supply section C, and discharge section D. The first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5 are arranged on both sides of the conveyor 1 and operate in the same direction as the conveyor 1 while sandwiching the batteries 100 on the conveyor 1. The running speeds of the first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5 are controlled independently.

[0019] In this embodiment, the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 each include upper ropes 4a, 5a that contact the upper part of the battery 100 and lower ropes 4b, 5b that contact the lower part of the object to be inspected. The upper ropes 4a, 5a and the lower ropes 4b, 5b can be made of a non-slip silicone material or a toothed rope with an uneven surface. The number of ropes used in the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 is not limited to two and can be increased or decreased. Wide band-shaped belts can be used as the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 instead of the upper ropes 4a, 5a and the lower ropes 4b, 5b.

[0020] Because the battery 100 is sandwiched between the upper ropes 4a, 5a and the lower ropes 4b, 5b at two points, even a slim battery 100 will not tip over during rotation. The first rotation belt 4 and the second rotation belt 5 are driven by a motor 6 provided at both ends of the loop-shaped belt. Two upper and lower pulleys 7a, 7b are fixed to the output shaft of the motor 6, and the upper ropes 4a, 5a and the lower ropes 4b, 5b are stretched over these pulleys 7a, 7b.

[0021] The first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 can be operated at different speeds. When the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are operated at different speeds, the batteries 100 sandwiched between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are transported while rotating on the conveyor 1. When the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are operated at the same speed, the batteries 100 are transported in a stationary state on the conveyor 1.

[0022] The gap between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 can be adjusted to fit the outer diameter of the object to be inspected. For this reason, the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are supported so as to be movable in the width direction of the conveyor 1 relative to the base 1a, and a gap adjustment mechanism 9 such as a cylinder or motor 6 for moving each belt is provided between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 and the base 1a.

[0023] A receiving roller 8 is provided at the adjacent portion between the first rotating belt 4 of the obstruction checking section A and the first rotating belt 4 of the upper inspection section B to seal the gap between the first rotating belt 4. Similarly, a receiving roller 8 is provided in the gap between the second rotating belts 5. A shielding cylinder 10 is provided between each radiation generator 2 and radiation detector to prevent the diffusion of radiation. Additionally, shielding components (e.g., lead plates, etc.) are also provided in the inspection room (not shown), but in this embodiment, the area other than the area around the shielding cylinder can be made small and thin. A receiving roller 8 is also provided at the connection parts of the supply section C and the discharge section D of the object to be inspected, etc.

[0024] The radiological inspection device has an angle determination unit 11 and a belt control unit 12 for controlling the operating speeds of the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5. The angle determination unit 11 detects the difference between the angle at which the obstruction was photographed and the optimal angle at which the obstruction was photographed during radiological inspection, based on the image data of the obstruction photographed by the obstruction confirmation unit A. The belt control unit 12 individually controls the operating speeds of the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 according to the difference detected by the angle determination unit 11 so that the object to be inspected rotates to an angle suitable for photographing the inspection area.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the radiation detectors 3 provided in the obstruction confirmation unit A and the upper inspection unit B are connected to the pass / fail judgment unit 13. The pass / fail judgment unit 13 compares the image data from the radiation detectors 3 with a judgment image prepared in advance to judge whether the battery being inspected is a pass or a fault.

[0026] [1-2. Operation of the embodiment] The operation of the radiological inspection apparatus of this embodiment is as follows. (1) Adjusting the gap between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 Using the gap adjustment mechanism 9, the gap between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 is adjusted to match the outer diameter of the battery 100. This adjustment work is performed for each of the belts in the obstruction confirmation section A and the upper inspection section B.

[0027] (2) Checking the position of the negative electrode tab 104 and rotating the battery 100 The battery 100 to be inspected is transported by conveyor 1 from a manufacturing device or storage location (not shown) and sent to obstruction confirmation section A. In obstruction confirmation section A, the sides of the battery 100 are sandwiched between first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5, and by operating first rotating belt 4, second rotating belt 5, and conveyor 1 at the same speed, the battery 100 is transported to the position of the optical axis of the radiation and stopped there.

[0028] In this state, obstruction confirmation unit A inspects whether or not the negative electrode tab 104 is in a position that does not affect the inspection of the positive and negative electrodes of battery 100. That is, as shown in FIG. 3A , radiation is irradiated from radiation generator 2 onto the bottom 102 side of battery 100, and radiation that has passed through battery 100 is detected by radiation detector 3. The imaging data detected by radiation detector 3 is sent to angle determination unit 11, which performs image analysis to measure the dimensions of negative electrode tab 104 based on the area it occupies inside battery 100.

[0029] Data relating to the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 from the angle determination unit 11 is sent to the belt control unit 12, which controls the running direction, speed, and running distance of the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 based on this data. That is, the belt control unit 12 rotates the battery 100 clockwise by a predetermined angle (e.g., 10°) on the conveyor 1 by running the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 at different speeds or in different directions. In this case, if the position of the battery 100 on the conveyor 1 deviates from the optical axis of the radiation, the conveyor 1 or the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are run to move the battery 100 so that the position of the battery 100 is aligned with the optical axis.

[0030] After the battery 100 has been rotated 10°, radiation is again irradiated onto the bottom of the battery 100, and the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 are measured. At this 10° rotated position, the battery 100 is photographed again to measure the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104. If the dimensions have decreased, the battery 100 is rotated further clockwise. On the other hand, if the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 have increased, the battery 100 is rotated counterclockwise. By repeating this process, the position of the negative electrode tab 104, which was in the states S1 to S3 in FIG. 4B during the initial photographing, reaches the S4 position in FIG. 4B, which does not affect the inspection.

[0031] (3) Inspection of the bottom of the battery 100 In this embodiment, the battery 100 is rotated each time an image is taken, and the difference between the angle of the battery 100 at the time of inspection and the angle of the battery 100 suitable for inspection is detected from the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 inside the photographed battery 100, and the belt control unit 12 controls the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 to reduce this difference. In this way, when the negative electrode tab 104 reaches position S4, the state of the lower part of the battery 100 is appropriately photographed, and therefore the photographed image data is acquired as inspection data of the lower part of the battery and sent to the battery pass / fail judgment unit 13 (not shown).

[0032] (4) Transport to Upper Inspection Section B After the lower inspection, the batteries 100 are transported to the upper inspection section B by running the conveyor 1, the first rotating belt 4, and the second rotating belt 5 in synchronization. At this time, the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 run at the same speed as the conveyor 1, so the batteries 100 at position S4 are transported on the conveyor 1 without rotating.

[0033] (3) Upper Inspection Section B In the upper inspection section B, as shown in Figure 3B, the radiation generator 2 and radiation detector 3 photograph the upper part of the battery 100 to inspect the overlapping state of the positive and negative electrodes. At this time, the battery 100 is in position S4, and the dimension of the negative electrode tab 104 that intersects with the radiation beam is minimized, so the positive and negative electrodes are not obstructed by the negative electrode tab 104, and a clear image of the inspection area can be obtained. The image data obtained in the upper inspection section B is also sent to the pass / fail judgment section 13, which obtains a judgment result for the battery 100 being inspected.

[0034] [1-3. Effects of the embodiment] This embodiment has the following advantages. (1) In this embodiment, radiation is irradiated by the obstruction confirmation unit A, and the fluoroscopic image data detected by the radiation detector 3 is image-processed to record the width of the negative electrode tab 104. When the width of the negative electrode tab 104 of the battery 100 is equal to or smaller than the S4 position in FIG. 4B , the battery 100 is rotated so that the width of the negative electrode tab 104 is at the S4 position due to the difference in running speed between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5. As a result, when fluoroscopic images are taken by the obstruction confirmation unit A and the upper inspection unit B, the interference with imaging caused by the negative electrode tab 104 is significantly reduced, and clear images of the inspection area can be obtained.

[0035] (2) Because the obstruction confirmation unit A also serves as the lower inspection unit, only two sets of radiation generators 2 and radiation detectors 3 are required. In addition, the length of the conveyor 1 required for inspection is shortened, and the first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5 are also reduced, making it possible to miniaturize the entire device, reduce the number of parts, and shorten the takt time.

[0036] (3) Because a receiving roller 8 is provided between the obstruction confirmation unit A and the upper inspection unit B, the battery 100 rotated to the S4 position is transported in a straight line without deviating from the angle corrected in the obstruction confirmation unit A. As a result, the negative electrode tab 104 does not become an obstacle to photography in the upper inspection unit B either, and a clear image of the inspection area can be obtained.

[0037] (4) The first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are equipped with upper ropes 4a, 5a and lower ropes 4b, 5b, so that the upper and lower parts of the battery 100 can be held by the two ropes, and the battery 100 will not fall over or change angle during transportation or rotation.

[0038] (5) The conveyor 1 transports the batteries 100 while they are held by the holders H, allowing for stable transport of the long and thin batteries 100, which tend to tip over on their own. In addition, when the batteries 100 are sandwiched between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5, the holders H prevent the batteries 100 from tipping over due to the pressure of the belts. The holders H also stably hold the batteries 100 when they pass through the receiving rollers 8 provided between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5.

[0039] (6) The gap between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 can be adjusted by the gap adjustment mechanism 9, so that objects with various outer diameters can be rotated on the conveyor 1. As a result, clear fluoroscopic images can be obtained for various objects without being obstructed by obstacles.

[0040] (7) Since the influence of obstructions is reduced when photographing the examination area, accurate fluoroscopic images can be obtained even with a small amount of radiation, and the thickness of the lead plate that shields the radiation beam and the radiation generator 2 can also be minimized.

[0041] (8) Because the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5 are used as the mechanism for rotating the battery 100, the battery 100 can be rotated at an appropriate angle with a simpler configuration than a technique in which a battery 100 rotation device is provided on the conveyor 1. Furthermore, compared to a technique in which the battery 100 is grasped and rotated with a robot arm or the like after photographing an obstruction, the angle of the battery 100 can be adjusted with a simpler configuration and in a shorter time.

[0042] [2. Second Embodiment] In this embodiment, only one side of the battery 100 is imaged. Therefore, in this embodiment, the radiation generator 2 and the radiation detector 3 capture only a fluoroscopic image of, for example, the right side of the battery 100, as shown in the shaded area in FIG. 5B . That is, the distance between the positive and negative electrodes and the beading state, which are the inspection items, appear symmetrically on the left and right sides of the battery, so it is possible to determine whether the battery is good or bad based on the fluoroscopic image of one side of the battery. On the other hand, since obstacles such as the negative electrode tab 104 transported to the inspection position are usually located on one side of the battery, when one side of the battery 100 is fluoroscopically imaged, if the obstacle is not captured in the fluoroscopic image, the fluoroscopic image data can be used as is as data for determination.

[0043] In this embodiment, the belt control unit 12 acquires fluoroscopic image data from the radiation detector 3 and detects whether the negative electrode tab 104 is present in the image of one side of the battery that is displayed. Alternatively, the image data from the radiation detector 3 is sent to the pass / fail product determination unit 13, which determines whether the negative electrode tab 104 is displayed in the fluoroscopic image, in other words, whether it is possible to determine whether the product is pass / fail. If it determines that this is not possible, the pass / fail product determination unit 13 transmits information to that effect to the belt control unit 12.

[0044] When the belt control unit 12 receives information from the radiation detector 3 or the pass / fail judgment unit 13 that an obstruction is present on one side of the battery, it drives the first rotation belt 4 and the second rotation belt 5 to rotate the battery 100 180 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. In this way, as shown in FIG. 5B(a), the obstruction moves to the opposite side of the battery, and the opposite side of the battery where the obstruction is not present is positioned within the radiation irradiation range. In this state, by irradiating radiation again and capturing a fluoroscopic image, the battery can be inspected without the obstruction.

[0045] 5B(b), if an obstruction is present in the center of the battery 100, even if the battery 100 is rotated 180° as described above, the negative electrode tab 104 or other obstacle may still be present within the radiation irradiation range. If the obstruction remains within the irradiation range even after rotating the battery 100 180°, the battery 100 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, for example, by 10° to check whether the obstruction has moved out of the irradiation range. If the obstruction remains even after rotating the battery 100 10°, the angle and direction of rotation are appropriately changed, such as by rotating the battery 100 20° in the opposite direction, until the obstruction moves out of the irradiation range.

[0046] According to the second embodiment, if no obstruction is present within the irradiation range, the fluoroscopic image data can be sent directly to the pass / fail judgment unit 13 for judgment, which makes it possible to acquire fluoroscopic image data for inspection in a shorter time than in the first embodiment, which requires repeatedly rotating the battery 100 to obtain the optimum angle. Another advantage is that even if an obstruction is present within the irradiation range, in many cases the obstruction can be moved out of the irradiation range simply by rotating the battery 100 180°.

[0047] 3. Third Embodiment In this embodiment, radiographic images are captured in advance for each rotation angle of the battery 100, and the dimensions and shape of the negative electrode tab 104 in the captured images and the corresponding angle of the battery 100 are stored in the angle determination unit 11. When inspecting the battery 100, the angle determination unit 11 compares the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 in the images captured during inspection with the dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 in the stored images, thereby determining the angle of the battery 100 being inspected.

[0048] This method of preparing in advance the correlation between the rotation angle of the battery 100 and the shape and dimensions of the negative electrode tab 104 can also be applied to the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, this method is applied to the second embodiment in which the irradiation range is one side of the battery 100.

[0049] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the correlation between the rotation angle of the battery 100 and the width of the negative electrode tab 104. As can be seen from Fig. 6, when the negative electrode tab 104 is positioned perpendicular to the radiation irradiation direction, the negative electrode tab 104 appears at its widest in the fluoroscopic image, and when it is parallel to the radiation irradiation direction, it appears at its smallest width, i.e., in the state of S4 in Fig. 4B. Therefore, the width dimension of the negative electrode tab 104 is detected from the fluoroscopic image, and the angle of the battery 100 in the captured state, in other words, the rotation angle of the battery 100 required for optimal imaging, is determined based on the width dimension.

[0050] After the angle at which the battery 100 should be rotated is detected in this manner, the angle determination unit 11 transmits the difference in the determined angle to the belt control unit 12. The belt control unit 12 rotates the battery 100 clockwise or counterclockwise by running the first rotation belt 4 and the second rotation belt 5 according to the received difference. As a result, the battery 100 is rotated to the angle shown in the S4 position in FIG. 4B where the dimension of the negative electrode tab 104 is minimum.

[0051] 4. Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Specifically, the following other embodiments are also included.

[0052] (1) The radiation inspection device of the embodiment can use an object other than the battery 100 as the object to be inspected. The object to be inspected is not particularly limited as long as it can be subjected to non-destructive inspection using radiation, and examples include wound structures such as cylindrical batteries, prismatic batteries, laminated batteries, aluminum electrolytic capacitors, and electrochemical capacitors such as electric double layer capacitors. When the object to be inspected has one inspection location, one inspection unit is sufficient.

[0053] (2) If the object to be inspected is rectangular, it cannot be rotated by clamping it between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5. A rectangular object to be inspected can be supported by a cylindrical holder H, and by rotating the holder H by clamping it between the first rotating belt 4 and the second rotating belt 5, the angle of the obstacle can be made to match the angle of the radiation optical axis. By using a holder H with a circular outer periphery, it becomes possible to rotate the object to be inspected even if the outer periphery of the object itself is not circular.

[0054] (3) When the first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5 that hold the batteries 100 are operated in the same direction at the same speed, they can transport the batteries 100 without rotating them. Therefore, in the obstruction checking section A and upper inspection section B where the first rotating belt 4 and second rotating belt 5 are installed, a chute-type or guide groove-type conveyor 1 that does not have the power to transport the batteries 100 can be used.

[0055] (4) For specimens with large outer diameters and shapes that are stable during transportation and inspection, the holder H may be unnecessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...Conveyor 1a…base 1b...Conveyor motor 2...Radiation generator 3...Radiation detector 4...First rotation belt 5...Second rotation belt 4a, 5a...Top rope 4b, 5b...Bottom rope 6...Motor 7a, 7b...pulley 8...Receiving roller 9…Space adjustment mechanism 10...Shielding tube 11...Angle determination section 12...Belt control section 13…Good product / defective product judgment department A... Obstruction check section (also serves as the lower inspection section) B: Upper inspection section C…Supply section D...Export section H...Holder 100...battery 101...Upper 102...Lower 103...Positive electrode tab 104...Negative electrode tab 105...External terminal

Claims

1. a conveyor for transporting the object to be inspected; and an obstruction check unit provided on the path of the conveyor; a radiation generator and a radiation detector disposed in the obstruction checking unit to sandwich the object on the conveyor, the radiation generator and the radiation detector configured to capture an image of an obstruction that may hinder imaging of an inspection portion of the object; a first rotating belt and a second rotating belt arranged on both sides of the conveyor in the obstruction checking unit, the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt being operable at different speeds while sandwiching the object to be inspected on the conveyor; an angle determination unit that detects a difference between an angle at which the obstruction was photographed and an angle suitable for radiological inspection of the obstruction, based on the image data of the obstruction photographed by the obstruction confirmation unit; a control unit that drives the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt in accordance with the difference detected by the angle determination unit so that the object to be inspected rotates to an angle suitable for photographing the inspection region; A radiological inspection device comprising:

2. 2. The radiological inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obstruction checking section also serves as an inspection section for photographing an inspection site of an object to be inspected.

3. 3. The radiological inspection device according to claim 2, further comprising, in addition to the inspection unit that doubles as the obstruction confirmation unit, another inspection unit that photographs another inspection portion of the object to be inspected, and the other inspection unit is provided with a radiation generator and a radiation detector.

4. 4. The radiological inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inspection unit also serving as the obstruction confirmation unit is a lower battery inspection unit, and the other inspection unit is an upper battery inspection unit.

5. A radiological inspection device as described in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the other inspection unit is arranged on both sides of the conveyor and is provided with a first rotating belt and a second rotating belt that can operate at different speeds while clamping the object to be inspected on the conveyor.

6. 6. The radiological inspection device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt has an upper rope that contacts an upper portion of the object to be inspected and a lower rope that contacts a lower portion of the object to be inspected.

7. 7. The radiological inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising a gap adjustment mechanism that moves the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt in the width direction of the conveyor to increase or decrease the gap between the first rotating belt and the second rotating belt.

8. 8. The radiological inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be inspected comprises a holder that holds the object to be inspected on the conveyor.

Images