Appearance inspection method and apparatus for inspecting an object

Abstract

To provide a method and a device for inspecting the appearance of an inspection target object which can precisely determine the quality of the appearance of a columnar inspection target object and can reduce the space for the inspection device.SOLUTION: A columnar inspection target object 71 is rotated at least two rounds by using a rotation device 30 to be rotated around the center axis of the inspection target object 71, and the inspection target object 71 is imaged under light applied on different irradiation conditions according to the numbers that the inspection target object 71 has rotated, whereby inspection images are acquired. A plurality of inspection images acquired according to the numbers of rotations are subjected to image processing so that at least one type of defect is examined. On the basis of the result of the examination, the quality of the appearance of the inspection target object 71 is determined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an object to be inspected. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method for inspecting the appearance of an object to be inspected is known in which an image of the object to be inspected is captured while irradiating the object with light, and the image obtained is subjected to image processing to inspect the appearance of the object to be inspected (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). The present applicant has previously proposed a method of inspecting a stick-type cosmetic such as lipstick for defects in appearance by uniformly irradiating the stick-type cosmetic with near-ultraviolet light, capturing an external image of the stick-type cosmetic, and then performing image processing on the external image (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a method of transporting an inspection object such as a rubber stopper, capturing an image of the rubber stopper that has entered an inspection area, and processing the image obtained. Patent Document 2 also describes a method of illuminating the inspection area with an illumination unit. Patent Document 3 describes a method of capturing an image of a flexible printed wiring board while irradiating the flexible printed wiring board with light, and processing the image obtained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-118896 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-122080 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-317361 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, near-ultraviolet light is used to irradiate the stick-type cosmetic product to be inspected, but there are defects that are difficult to detect with near-ultraviolet light. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, multiple cameras are placed around the object to be inspected, and each camera takes an image, so a large space is required to install the inspection device, and installation is also time-consuming. As described above, the inspection method of Patent Document 2 captures images of the rubber stoppers while the inspection area is illuminated and the rubber stoppers are being transported. Therefore, in order to inspect for multiple types of defects, it is necessary to provide multiple inspection areas and to arrange an imaging device and lighting for each inspection area. As described above, the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 require a large space for installing the inspection device in order to inspect multiple types of defects, making it difficult to reduce the space required for inspection or to miniaturize the inspection device. The inspection method of Patent Document 3 is not capable of inspecting the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object, since the object to be inspected is a flexible printed wiring board. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an appearance inspection method and an appearance inspection device that can easily reduce the space required for inspection or downsize the inspection device when inspecting a cylindrical inspection object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention involves rotating a cylindrical test object two or more times around the central axis of the test object using a rotation device, irradiating the inspection object with light under different irradiation conditions for each rotation of the inspection object, and capturing an image of the inspection object to obtain an inspection image; inspecting for a plurality of types of defects by performing image processing on each of the plurality of inspection images acquired for each of the plurality of times; The present invention provides a method for inspecting the appearance of an object to be inspected, which determines whether the appearance of the object to be inspected is good or bad based on the inspection results of the plurality of types of defects.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for inspecting a cylindrical object, the method comprising: an imaging unit for imaging a cylindrical object to be inspected; an illumination unit for irradiating the object with light; a rotation device for rotating the object to be inspected around its central axis; an image processing unit; and a quality determination unit, Each time the rotation device rotates the inspection object, the illumination emits light under different irradiation conditions, and the inspection object is imaged by the imaging unit to obtain an inspection image, the image processing unit is configured to inspect a plurality of types of defects by performing image processing on each of the plurality of inspection images acquired for each of the plurality of times; The apparatus provides an appearance inspection device for an object to be inspected, in which the pass / fail judgment section judges whether the appearance of the object to be inspected is pass / fail based on the inspection results of a plurality of types of defects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the appearance inspection method of the present invention, it is possible to judge with high accuracy whether the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object is good or bad, and also to reduce the space required for inspection. Furthermore, the appearance inspection device of the present invention can determine with high accuracy whether the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object is good or bad, and the inspection device can be easily made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a preferred embodiment of the visual inspection device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of lighting when the visual inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from above in the vertical direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the procedure of a preferred embodiment of the visual inspection method of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of another preferred embodiment of the visual inspection method of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an appearance inspection device 1, which is one embodiment of the appearance inspection device for inspection objects of the present invention. The appearance inspection device 1 shown in the figure includes an imaging unit 10 that images a cylindrical inspection object, an illumination unit 20 that irradiates the inspection object with light, a rotation device 30 that rotates the inspection object about its central axis, an image processing unit 40, and a quality determination unit 50. The appearance inspection device 1 is an apparatus that determines the quality of the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic 71, such as lipstick, as the inspection object.

[0011] The appearance inspection device 1 uses the rotation device 30 to rotate the stick-type cosmetic 71 around its central axis CL. Then, each time the stick-type cosmetic 71 rotates, the illumination conditions of the light emitted by the illumination device 20 are changed, and the imaging unit 10 captures images of the stick-type cosmetic 71 to obtain inspection images. The image processing unit 40 then performs image processing on each inspection image to inspect for one or more types of defects. The quality determination unit 50 then determines whether the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is good or bad based on the inspection results for the multiple defects.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , the rotation device 30 has an inspection object holding unit 32 and a rotation mechanism 31. The inspection object holding unit 32 holds a stick-shaped cosmetic 71. Specifically, it holds the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 with the axial direction of the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 aligned with the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 is attached to a cosmetic container 72 and forms part of a cosmetic product 70. The inspection object holding unit 32 holds the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 by gripping the cosmetic container 72. The rotation mechanism 31 rotates the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 held in the inspection object holding unit 32. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 31 rotates the stick-shaped cosmetic 71 in the direction R in FIG. 2 around the central axis of the stick-shaped cosmetic 71.

[0013] The lighting conditions of the lighting 20 vary depending on the number of rotations of the stick-shaped cosmetic 71. In this embodiment, the lighting 20 includes multiple lighting 21, 22, and 23, and the lighting that emits light is switched depending on the number of rotations of the stick-shaped cosmetic 71. Hereinafter, the lighting 21, 22, and 23 included in the lighting 20 will also be referred to as the first lighting 21, the second lighting 22, and the third lighting 23, respectively.

[0014] The first illuminator 21 is disposed diagonally above the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71. The first illuminator 21 irradiates the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 with white light from diagonally above. The first illuminator 21 has an annular light source 21a. The second illuminator 22 is disposed on the side of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 and is configured to irradiate white light toward the side of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71. The second illuminator 22 has a rectangular light source 22a. The second illuminator 22 is disposed so that the longitudinal direction of the light source 22a coincides with the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the appearance inspection device 1 has two second illuminators 22, as shown in FIG. 2. The third illuminator 23 is disposed vertically above the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 and is configured to irradiate the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 with white light from vertically above. The third illuminator 23 has an annular light source 23a.

[0015] The imaging unit 10 is configured to image the stick-type cosmetic 71 for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71 and obtain an inspection image. The appearance inspection device 1 has the imaging unit 10 at only one location in the circumferential direction surrounding the rotating device 30. The imaging unit 10 also has only one imaging means. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 10 is arranged so as to image the stick-type cosmetic 71 from the side of the stick-type cosmetic 71. The imaging means included in the imaging unit 10 can be, for example, an RGB camera, an infrared camera, or the like.

[0016] The image processing unit 40 performs image processing on each inspection image acquired by the imaging unit 10 to inspect for defects. The image processing unit 40 may detect one type of defect based on one inspection image, or multiple types of defects. The image processing unit 40 typically has a control function for the imaging unit 10, a processing function for image data captured by the imaging unit 10, and a storage function for the image data, and is configured as a device constructed based on a computer or image controller on which image processing software or the like is installed. Examples of image processing performed by the image processing unit 40 include binarization, averaging, illuminance correction, color conversion, and shading correction. The method for detecting defects is not particularly limited, and various known detection methods can be employed, and it is preferable to select an appropriate detection method depending on the type of defect. For example, blob measurement, position measurement, or area measurement may be performed on the inspection image after binarization processing.

[0017] Based on the inspection results for multiple defects, the quality determining unit 50 determines the quality of the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic 71. The image processing unit 40 and the quality determining unit 50 can be configured, for example, by incorporating a predetermined program into a computer or the like that includes a central processing unit such as a CPU, and storage devices such as a ROM and RAM. In this embodiment, the visual inspection apparatus 1 has a control unit 60, which controls the operations of the rotation device 30, the lighting 20, the imaging unit 10, the image processing unit 40, and the pass / fail determination unit 50. The control unit 60 may be, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a personal computer with various interfaces added. The control unit 60 may be incorporated into the same computer as the image processing unit 40 and the pass / fail determination unit 50. Furthermore, it is preferable that the appearance inspection device 1 has a memory unit that stores the inspection images captured by the imaging unit 10, the inspection results of the image processing unit 40, etc., and that the information stored in the memory unit can be output as appropriate so that it can be used by the pass / fail judgment unit 50 to judge whether the appearance is pass or fail.

[0018] Next, a preferred embodiment of the method for inspecting the appearance of an inspection object of the present invention will be described, taking as an example a method for determining whether the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic 71 is good or bad using the above-mentioned appearance inspection device 1. In this embodiment, the stick-type cosmetic 71 is rotated two or more times around the central axis of the stick-type cosmetic 71 by the rotation device 30. Then, after each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71, the lighting device 20 is switched to irradiate the stick-type cosmetic 71 with light under different irradiation conditions, and an image of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is captured to obtain a test image. Then, the image processing unit 40 performs image processing on each of the multiple test images obtained for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71, thereby inspecting for multiple types of defects. The quality determination unit 50 then determines whether the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is good or bad based on the inspection results for the multiple types of defects.

[0019] The appearance inspection method of this embodiment will be described in further detail below with reference to Fig. 3. In the embodiment described below, a stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is rotated at least three times and three types of defects are detected. First, the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is held in the inspection object holding portion 32 of the rotation device 30. Then, the rotation device 30 is started to rotate the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71. Then, step S1 is performed. In step S1, the number of rotations of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is obtained. The means for obtaining the number of rotations may be an encoder signal obtained from the motor of the rotation device 30. Alternatively, the number of rotations may be obtained by providing a dog that rotates in conjunction with the rotation device 30 and detecting the dog with a proximity sensor. The number of rotations may be set to 0 from the start of rotation until one full rotation has been made, or the number of rotations may be counted after the rotation has stabilized. Next, step S2 is performed. In step S2, the irradiation conditions of the light source 20 are set according to the number of times acquired in step S1. Specifically, when the stick-type cosmetic material 71 has rotated for the first time, i.e., when the number of times acquired in step S1 is 0, light is irradiated under predetermined illumination conditions. When the stick-type cosmetic material 71 has rotated for the second time or later, i.e., when the number of times acquired in step S1 is 1 or more, the illumination conditions are changed. The irradiation conditions set in step S2 are preferably conditions that make it easy to obtain an inspection image (which may be an image after image processing) that makes it easy to detect defects to be inspected in the subsequent step S4.

[0020] In the first example of this embodiment, the change in the illumination conditions is, for example, when the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the first time, i.e., when the number of rotations acquired in step S1 is 0, only the first illumination 21 is turned on and light is emitted by the first illumination 21. When the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the second time, i.e., when the number of rotations acquired in step S1 is 1, only the second illumination 22 is turned on and light is emitted by the second illumination 22. When the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the third time, i.e., when the number of rotations acquired in step S1 is 2, only the third illumination 23 is turned on and light is emitted by the third illumination 23.

[0021] Next, step S3 is performed. In step S3, the stick-type cosmetic 71 is imaged by the imaging unit 10 while being irradiated with light by the illumination 20, and an inspection image is obtained. In step S3, the number of times the stick-type cosmetic 71 has been imaged (hereinafter also referred to as the "number of images taken") is preferably stored in the memory unit. Specifically, when the stick-type cosmetic 71 is imaged, the number of images taken stored in the memory unit is preferably incremented by 1. The initial value of the number of images taken stored in the memory unit is preferably 0. The number of images taken is the number of times the stick-type cosmetic 71 is imaged during one rotation. Next, step S4 is performed. In step S4, the inspection image acquired in step S3 is subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 40, and defects are inspected. In step S4, the number of defects inspected based on one inspection image may be one type, or two or more types. In a first example of this embodiment, when the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the first time, the presence or absence of color unevenness in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected. When the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the second time, the presence or absence of scratches extending in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected. When the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated for the third time, the presence or absence of scratches extending in the circumferential direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected. The inspection results from the image processing unit 40 are then stored in the memory unit.

[0022] Next, step S5 is performed. In step S5, it is determined whether the number of images taken is a predetermined number (hereinafter also referred to as the "predetermined number of images taken"). The predetermined number of images taken can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, an image is taken every 60° of rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71 while the stick-type cosmetic 71 makes one rotation, and a total of six test images are obtained. In other words, in this embodiment, the predetermined number of images taken is six. By obtaining multiple test images while the stick-type cosmetic 71 makes one rotation, it becomes possible to inspect defects around the entire circumference of the stick-type cosmetic 71. If the number of images taken is not the predetermined number, steps S3 to S5 are repeated. The predetermined number of images taken is not particularly limited and may be 1, 2 to 5, or 7 or more. If the number of times of imaging is the default number of times of imaging, the number of times of imaging stored in the storage unit is set to 0, and then step S6 is performed.

[0023] In step S6, it is determined whether the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 has rotated a predetermined number of times (hereinafter also referred to as the "predetermined number of rotations"). The predetermined number of rotations can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, the stick-shaped cosmetic material is rotated three times, so the predetermined number of rotations mentioned above is 2. If the number of rotations of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is not the predetermined number of rotations, steps S1 to S6 are repeated. If the stick-type cosmetic material 71 has rotated a number of times (hereinafter also referred to as the "predetermined number of rotations"), step S7 is performed. In step S7, the quality of the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 is determined. In step S7, the quality of the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 is determined based on the inspection results performed in multiple steps S4. In this embodiment, step S4 is performed three times, and the quality of the appearance is determined based on the three inspection results. For example, if a defect is found in any one of the three inspection results, the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 may be determined to be poor. Alternatively, if a defect is found in all three inspection results, the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 may be determined to be poor.

[0024] According to the appearance inspection method of this embodiment, the irradiation conditions are changed for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71, so that images can be taken under appropriate irradiation conditions according to the inspection content for each rotation. Furthermore, because the irradiation conditions are changed for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic 71, multiple defects can be inspected without moving the stick-type cosmetic 71 or the imaging unit 10. Furthermore, because images are taken while the stick-type cosmetic 71 is rotating, there is no need to install multiple imaging units 10 and imaging means. Therefore, according to the appearance inspection method of this embodiment, it is possible to judge with high accuracy whether the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object is good or bad, and it is also possible to reduce the space required for inspection. Furthermore, the appearance inspection device 1 of this embodiment can determine with high accuracy whether the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object is good or bad, and the inspection device can also be easily made smaller.

[0025] In this embodiment, as described above, the irradiation conditions of the light source 20 are changed for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic product 71, and it is preferable that each irradiation condition differs in at least one of the wavelength of the irradiated light, the illuminance of the irradiated light, the direction of the irradiated light, the shape of the light source, and the installation position of the light source. This makes it easy to detect different defects for each rotation of the stick-type cosmetic product 71. An example of a different installation position of the light source is a different height position along the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic product 71.

[0026] In this embodiment, the stick-type cosmetic 71 is rotated multiple times, and defects are inspected using different irradiation conditions for each rotation, thereby obtaining two or more types of inspection results. Furthermore, because inspection is performed using irradiation conditions appropriate for each defect, multiple defects can be inspected using a method that makes it easy to detect each of them. The defects detected in this embodiment can be two or more types selected from, for example, pinholes formed in the stick-type cosmetic 71, color unevenness in the stick-type cosmetic 71, linear scratches formed in the stick-type cosmetic 71, cracks formed in the stick-type cosmetic 71, abnormal shapes of the stick-type cosmetic 71, and foreign matter on the surface of the stick-type cosmetic 71. The color unevenness in the stick-type cosmetic 71 may be color unevenness in the axial direction or color unevenness in the circumferential direction.

[0027] In this embodiment, as described above, the irradiation conditions are changed and defect inspection is performed for each rotation of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71. It is preferable that the irradiation conditions for each rotation correspond to the defect to be detected. For example, when detecting a linear scratch extending in the circumferential direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71, a preferred irradiation condition is that the stick-type cosmetic 71 is irradiated with light from one side in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 at an angle at a predetermined angle to the axial direction. By doing so, the shadow near the linear scratch extending in the circumferential direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 will appear more clearly in the inspection image, making it easier to detect the scratch. Furthermore, when detecting linear scratches extending in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71, it is preferable that the irradiation conditions be such that the stick-type cosmetic 71 is irradiated from the side of the stick-type cosmetic 71. By doing so, the shadow in the vicinity of the linear scratches extending in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 will appear more clearly in the inspection image, making it easier to detect the scratches.

[0028] Furthermore, when detecting pinholes formed in the stick-type cosmetic material 71, it is preferable that the irradiation conditions be such that the light is irradiated obliquely from one side of the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 at a predetermined angle to the axial direction. Furthermore, when detecting color unevenness in the axial direction of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71, it is preferable that the irradiation condition be such that the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is irradiated from the side. Furthermore, when detecting cracks formed in the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71, it is preferable that the irradiation conditions be such that the light is irradiated obliquely from one side of the axial direction of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 at a predetermined angle to the axial direction.

[0029] Furthermore, when detecting abnormalities in the shape of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71, it is preferable that the irradiation conditions be such that the light is irradiated obliquely from one side of the axial direction of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 at a predetermined angle to the axial direction. Furthermore, when detecting foreign matter on the surface of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71, it is preferable that the irradiation conditions be such that the light is irradiated obliquely from one side of the axial direction of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 at a predetermined angle to the axial direction.

[0030] Another embodiment of the visual inspection method of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Regarding the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, differences from the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 will be described. Points that are not particularly described are the same as those in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and the description of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 applies as appropriate.

[0031] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, steps S1 and S2 are performed in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Next, step S3b is performed. In step S3b, an inspection image is acquired in the same manner as in step S3. The acquired inspection image is then stored in a memory unit. Also, as in step 3S, it is preferable to increment the number of times imaging is performed stored in the memory unit by one. Next, step S5b is performed. In step S5b, similar to step S5, it is determined whether the number of times imaging has been performed is the predetermined number of times. The predetermined number of times imaging has been performed can be set arbitrarily. If the number of times imaging has been performed is not the predetermined number of times imaging has been performed, steps S1, S2, S3b, and S5b are repeated. If the number of times of imaging is the predetermined number of times of imaging, the number of times of imaging stored in the storage unit is set to 0, and then step S6b is performed.

[0032] In step S6b, similar to step S6, it is determined whether the number of rotations of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 is the predetermined number of rotations. If the number of rotations of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 is not the predetermined number of rotations, steps S1, S2, S3b, S5b, and S6b are repeated. If the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated a predetermined number of times, step S4b is performed. In step S4b, the image processing unit 40 performs image processing on the test image stored in the memory unit to inspect for defects. In step S4b, the number of defects inspected based on one test image may be one or more types. For example, the presence or absence of color unevenness in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected based on the test image when the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated one revolution, the presence or absence of scratches extending in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected based on the test image when the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated two revolutions, and the presence or absence of scratches extending in the circumferential direction of the stick-type cosmetic 71 is inspected based on the test image when the stick-type cosmetic 71 has rotated three revolutions.

[0033] Next, step S6b is performed. In step S6, the quality of the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 is determined based on the inspection results from step S4b. For example, if three defects are inspected in step S4b as described above, the quality of the appearance can be determined based on the three inspection results. For example, if a defect is found in any one of the three inspection results, the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 may be determined to be poor. Alternatively, if defects are found in all three inspection results, the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material 71 may be determined to be poor. As with the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the embodiment shown in Figure 4 makes it possible to determine with high accuracy whether the appearance of a cylindrical inspection object is good or bad, while also reducing the space required for inspection.

[0034] The present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, while the appearance inspection device 1 of this embodiment includes three illuminators 21, 22, and 23 as the illuminator 20, the appearance inspection device 1 may include only one illuminator as the illuminator 20. In this embodiment, the illuminator 20 preferably includes at least two illuminators, and it is preferable that each illuminator differs in at least one of the wavelength of the irradiated light, the illuminance of the irradiated light, the irradiating direction of the irradiated light, the shape of the illuminator, and the installation position of the illuminator. This makes it easy to change the irradiation conditions for each rotation of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71. The number of illuminators may be four or more.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the shape of the light source of the illumination device 20 is annular or rectangular, but the shape of the light source is not limited to this. The shape of the light source of the illumination device 20 may be, for example, a dome shape or a coaxial epi-illumination type. The shape of the light source is preferably selected depending on the defect to be detected.

[0036] In this embodiment, the wavelength of the light source of the illuminator 20 is white light that includes wavelengths in the visible light range, but the wavelength of the light source is not limited to this. The wavelength of the light source of the illuminator 20 may be, for example, a wavelength in the red, blue, infrared, or ultraviolet range. The wavelength of the light source is preferably selected depending on the color of the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for each rotation of the stick-shaped cosmetic 71, there may be a period in which no image is taken or an image is taken under the same irradiation conditions as the first irradiation condition, between a period in which an image is taken under one irradiation condition and a period in which an image is taken under another irradiation condition.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is rotated three times, but the number of times that the stick-shaped cosmetic material 71 is rotated may be two, four or more times.

[0039] Examples of the stick-type cosmetic 71 include lipstick as described above, as well as lip balm, lip gloss, stick eyeshadow, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, stick foundation, concealer, whitening stick, etc. The lipstick may be just lipstick, or may be lipstick in a container. The object to be inspected is not limited to the stick-shaped cosmetic 71, but may be, for example, chocolate, antiperspirant, soap, candle, medicine, interior decoration, toys, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Inspection equipment 10. Imaging unit 20. Lighting 30 Rotating Device 40 Image processing section 50 Good / bad judgement section 60 Control Unit

Claims

1. The cylindrical stick-shaped cosmetic material is rotated two or more times using a rotating device that rotates the stick-shaped cosmetic material around the central axis of the stick-shaped cosmetic material, each time the stick-shaped cosmetic material is rotated, light is irradiated under different irradiation conditions, and an image of the stick-shaped cosmetic material is captured to obtain a test image; inspecting for a plurality of types of defects, one of which is color unevenness of the stick-type cosmetic material, by performing image processing on each of the plurality of inspection images acquired for each of the plurality of inspection times; The method for inspecting the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic material includes determining whether the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic material is good or bad based on the inspection results of the plurality of types of defects.

2. 2. The appearance inspection method for a stick-type cosmetic material according to claim 1, wherein the different irradiation conditions are different in one or more selected from the wavelength of the irradiated light, the illuminance of the irradiated light, the irradiation direction of the irradiated light, the shape of the light source, and the installation position of the light source.

3. 3. The method for inspecting the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the defects to be detected further include one or more selected from the group consisting of pinholes formed in the stick-type cosmetic product, linear scratches formed in the stick-type cosmetic product, cracks formed in the stick-type cosmetic product, abnormalities in the shape of the stick-type cosmetic product, and foreign matter on the surface of the stick-type cosmetic product.

4. The method for inspecting the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one of the defects to be detected includes a linear scratch extending in the circumferential direction of the stick-type cosmetic product, and the illumination conditions for detecting the linear scratch are such that the light is obliquely illuminated from one side in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic product at a predetermined angle to the axial direction.

5. The method for inspecting the appearance of a stick-type cosmetic according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one of the defects to be detected includes a linear scratch extending in the axial direction of the stick-type cosmetic, and the irradiation conditions for detecting the linear scratch include irradiating the stick-type cosmetic from the side of the stick-type cosmetic.

6. The cosmetic product has an imaging unit that images a cylindrical stick-shaped cosmetic material, an illuminator that irradiates the stick-shaped cosmetic material with light, a rotating device that rotates the stick-shaped cosmetic material around its central axis, an image processing unit, and a quality determining unit, Each time the rotating device rotates the stick-shaped cosmetic material, the illumination device irradiates the stick-shaped cosmetic material with light under different irradiation conditions, and the imaging unit captures an image of the stick-shaped cosmetic material to obtain a test image, the image processing unit is configured to inspect for a plurality of types of defects, one of which is color unevenness of the stick-type cosmetic material, by performing image processing on each of the plurality of inspection images acquired for each of the plurality of times; The appearance inspection device for stick-type cosmetics, wherein the quality determination unit determines whether the appearance of the stick-type cosmetic is good or bad based on the inspection results of the plurality of types of defects.

7. The lighting includes at least two lighting elements; 7. The appearance inspection device for stick-type cosmetics according to claim 6, wherein the at least two illuminators differ in one or more selected from the wavelength of the light they irradiate, the illuminance of the light they irradiate, the irradiation direction of the light they irradiate, the shape of the illuminator, and the installation position of the illuminator.

Images