Inspection Equipment

Abstract

To provide an inspection device for a toner cartridge which less produces wasteful IC chips.SOLUTION: The inspection device executes attachment of IC chips, writing of IC chips, and a torque inspection on a toner cartridge on assembly lines. The inspection device has a plurality of stations for executing each step of the assembly lines. Stations with higher defect generation rates of the stations are arranged in time order, starting with the earliest, of the operations of the assembly lines, except for the fixed stations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an inspection device for a toner cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an inspection device used in the final manufacturing process of toner cartridges that are loaded into image forming devices in the workplace. This inspection device performs the following steps in an assembly line: attaching an IC chip, writing information to the IC chip, and inspecting whether the toner is properly stirred. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-124973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described inspection device, if the toner cartridge is found to be defective as a result of the toner agitation inspection, the IC chip attached to the toner cartridge before the toner agitation inspection will be wasted.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a toner cartridge inspection device that reduces the amount of IC chips that are wasted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The inspection device of the embodiment performs IC chip mounting, IC chip writing, and torque inspection on the toner cartridge in an assembly line. The inspection device has a plurality of stations that perform each operation on the assembly line. a conveying mechanism that conveys the toner cartridge to a plurality of stations in order; and a control unit that controls the conveying mechanism and the plurality of stations. Among the multiple stations, stations with a high defect rate are placed at the front of the assembly line, excluding stations whose order is fixed. The multiple stations include an input station into which a toner cartridge and an IC chip holder having an IC chip are input, a torque inspection station that performs a torque inspection of the toner cartridge, a welding station that welds the IC chip holder to the toner cartridge, a writing station that writes information to the IC chip, and an unloading station that unloads the toner cartridge. The writing station is arranged after the welding station in terms of the order of the assembly line, and the order of the writing station and the welding station is fixed. The torque inspection station is arranged before the welding station in terms of the order of the assembly line. If the torque inspection station determines that the toner cartridge is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit controls the transport mechanism to return the toner cartridge to the input station. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inspection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inspection device according to the embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge holder of the inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the inspection apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a defective product ejection mechanism of a cartridge holder according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an inspection device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an inspection device 10 according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inspection device 10 as seen from above. The inspection device 10 is a device that performs at least the attachment of an IC chip to a toner cartridge, the writing of information to the IC chip, and a torque inspection on an assembly line in the final process of toner cartridge manufacturing.

[0009] The inspection apparatus 10 has a plurality of stations 51 to 56 for performing each task of the assembly line. The illustrated inspection apparatus 10 has six stations 51 to 56. Specifically, the inspection apparatus 10 has an input station 51, a torque inspection station 52, a first welding station 53, a second welding station 54, a writing station 55, and an unloading station 56.

[0010] The toner cartridge 80 and an IC chip holder having an IC chip are inserted into the input station 51. The IC chip holder will be described later.

[0011] The torque inspection station 52 is a station that performs torque inspection of the toner cartridge 80. The torque inspection includes determining whether the toner in the toner cartridge 80 is being properly agitated, determining whether the toner cartridge 80 is operating properly, and the like.

[0012] First welding station 53 and second welding station 54 are stations that weld an IC chip holder having an IC chip to toner cartridge 80. Welding is performed at two locations on the IC chip holder. That is, first welding station 53 is a station that performs first welding at a first location on the IC chip holder, and second welding station 54 is a station that performs second welding at a second location on the IC chip holder.

[0013] Writing station 55 is a station that writes information to the IC chip of the IC chip holder. The information written to the IC chip includes information about the model of toner cartridge 80, information about the color of toner inside toner cartridge 80, information about the manufacturing date and lot of toner cartridge 80, and information indicating that toner cartridge 80 is a genuine product. After writing information to the IC chip, writing station 55 also affixes markings to toner cartridge 80 to make general information about toner cartridge 80 visible.

[0014] The unloading station 56 is a station for unloading the toner cartridges 80 after the assembly line has finished.

[0015] Here, a station may be considered to refer to a location where work is performed, and depending on the station, the station may also be considered to refer to a device, facility, etc. that performs the work.

[0016] The inspection device 10 also has a transport mechanism that transports the toner cartridges 80 to stations 51 to 56 in order. This transport mechanism has a rotary table 20 and a plurality of cartridge holders 30. The rotary table 20 is disk-shaped and rotatable. The rotary table 20 receives a driving force from a drive mechanism (not shown) to rotate. The cartridge holders 30 are fixed to the rotary table 20. The cartridge holders 30 hold the toner cartridges 80.

[0017] The number of cartridge holders 30 is the same as the number of stations 51 to 56. That is, the transport mechanism has six cartridge holders 30. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, the six cartridge holders 30 are positioned at equal angular intervals on a circumference centered on the rotation center of the turntable 20. The six stations 51 to 56 are also positioned at equal angular intervals on a circumference centered on the rotation center of the turntable 20. Therefore, the six cartridge holders 30 can be positioned at the six stations 51 to 56 simultaneously, respectively.

[0018] The inspection device 10 also has a take-out mechanism 61 and a discharge mechanism 62. The take-out mechanism 61 takes out the toner cartridge 80 from the take-out station 56 and carries it to the discharge mechanism 62. The take-out mechanism 61 has a gripping and releasing mechanism that grips and releases the toner cartridge 80, a moving mechanism that moves the toner cartridge 80 gripped by the gripping and releasing mechanism, and the like. The discharge mechanism 62 receives the toner cartridge 80 from the take-out mechanism 61 and discharges it. The discharge mechanism 62 is, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0019] The inspection apparatus 10 also has an operation panel 11 and a control unit 12. The operation panel 11 is a device that receives instructions from an operator of the inspection apparatus 10. The instructions include starting, pausing, and stopping the inspection apparatus 10. The operation panel 11 has a display unit, operation buttons, etc. The control unit 12 is capable of sending and receiving information to and from the operation panel 11. The control unit 12 controls the operation of the transport mechanism including the rotary table 20, the multiple stations 51 to 56, the take-out mechanism 61, and the discharge mechanism 62. The control unit 12 receives information on the results of the torque inspection from the torque inspection station 52 and information on the results of writing to the IC chip from the writing station 55. The control unit 12 is also capable of communicating with an external device 70, as schematically shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] The external device 70 transmits and receives information to and from the control unit 12, processes received information, etc. For example, the external device 70 transmits information to be written to the IC chip, receives information on the results of writing to the IC chip, determines whether the writing results are good or bad, transmits information on the determination results, etc. The external device 70 is, for example, a PC (personal computer).

[0021] Next, a description will be given of the toner cartridge 80, which is the target of assembly line work by the inspection device 10, with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the toner cartridge 80, namely, the periphery of one end. Here, Fig. 3 shows the toner cartridge 80 as a finished product.

[0022] The toner cartridge 80 has a container body 81 that contains toner, and a lid body 82 that closes the opening of the container body 81. The toner cartridge 80 has a gripping portion 83 that is firmly gripped by a gripping mechanism 36 (described below) of the cartridge holder 30. For example, the gripping portion 83 is an edge portion on both sides of the lid body 82 that extends along the toner cartridge 80.

[0023] Although not shown, the toner cartridge 80 has inside it a paddle that rotates to agitate the toner and an auger that rotates to transport the toner. The toner cartridge 80 has a gear unit 85 at its end for rotating the paddle and auger.

[0024] Gear unit 85 has a paddle gear 86 for rotating the paddle and an auger gear 87 for rotating the auger. The outer peripheries of paddle gear 86 and auger gear 87 mesh with each other and rotate in unison. Paddle gear 86 has a torque inspection portion 88 at its rotation center. This torque inspection portion 88 is the part that engages with the drive shaft of the drive system of the image forming apparatus when toner cartridge 80 is loaded into the image forming apparatus.

[0025] The torque inspection station 52 performs a torque inspection on the toner cartridge 80 via the torque inspection unit 88. The torque inspection station 52 performs the torque inspection by engaging a rotatable drive shaft with the torque inspection unit 88 and rotating the drive shaft. For example, during the torque inspection, the torque inspection station 52 determines whether the toner in the toner cartridge 80 is being properly agitated based on the torque when the paddle gear 86 rotates, and checks whether any misalignment has occurred in the torque inspection unit 88. If the torque inspection result fails, the torque inspection station 52 determines that the toner cartridge 80 is defective. The torque inspection station 52 also transmits this information to the control unit 12.

[0026] The toner cartridge 80 has an IC chip holder 90. The IC chip holder 90 is fixed to the container body 81 by welding. Therefore, the IC chip holder 90 has a first welding portion 92 and a second welding portion 93. The first welding portion 92 is the target portion to be welded by the first welding station 53. The second welding portion 93 is the target portion to be welded by the second welding station 54.

[0027] The IC chip holder 90 has an IC chip 91. The IC chip 91 is fixed in advance to a predetermined position on the IC chip holder 90. The IC chip 91 is an electronic component having an IC, and various pieces of information can be written to the IC chip 91. The IC chip 91 permanently holds the information written by the writing station 55.

[0028] Next, referring to Fig. 4, the cartridge holder 30 that holds the toner cartridge 80 will be described. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cartridge holder 30 that holds the toner cartridge 80. The cartridge holder 30 holds the toner cartridge 80 that has been inserted into the insertion station 51. The cartridge holder 30 holds the toner cartridge 80 in an upright position, i.e., with its longitudinal axis aligned substantially vertically.

[0029] The cartridge holder 30 has a standing wall 31, a pair of upper guides 32, a pair of middle guides 33, and a gripping mechanism 36. The standing wall 31 is fixed to the turntable 20. The standing wall 31 extends substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the turntable 20. The pair of upper guides 32 extend outward from an upper portion of the standing wall 31 with respect to the center of rotation of the turntable 20. The pair of middle guides 33 extend outward from a central portion of the standing wall 31 with respect to the center of rotation of the turntable 20. The pair of upper guides 32 and the pair of middle guides 33 roughly determine the circumferential position of the toner cartridge 80 inserted between them with respect to the center of rotation of the turntable 20.

[0030] The gripping mechanism 36 has a pressing member 34 and a pair of chucks 35. The pressing member 34 is fixed to the turntable 20. The pressing member 34 is a member that presses the toner cartridge 80 outward against the center of rotation of the turntable 20.

[0031] 4, one of the pair of chuck portions 35 is hidden behind the toner cartridge 80 and cannot be seen, so only the visible one is depicted. The pair of chuck portions 35 are rotatable around an axis 37. By rotating, the ends of the pair of chuck portions 35 move in the circumferential direction of the turntable 20. In addition, the pair of chuck portions 35 are movable in the radial direction relative to the rotation center of the turntable 20.

[0032] The gripping mechanism 36 accurately positions and firmly grips the toner cartridge 80 as follows: The pair of chuck portions 35 clamp the toner cartridge 80 by rotating so that their ends approach each other. Through this action, the gripping mechanism 36 accurately positions the toner cartridge 80 in the circumferential direction relative to the rotation center of the turntable 20. Next, the pair of chuck portions 35 move so that their ends approach the pressing member 34, thereby cooperating with the pressing member 34 to firmly grip the gripping portions 83 of the toner cartridge 80. Through this action, the gripping mechanism 36 accurately positions the toner cartridge 80 in the radial direction relative to the rotation center of the turntable 20. The gripping mechanism 36 also firmly grips the toner cartridge 80.

[0033] In this way, the cartridge holder 30 holds the toner cartridge 80 while accurately positioning the toner cartridge 80. The cartridge holder 30 that holds the toner cartridge 80 at the input station 51 continues to hold the toner cartridge 80 until it passes through the torque inspection station 52, the welding stations 53 and 54, and the writing station 55 in this order and reaches the removal station 56, unless a defect in the toner cartridge 80 is detected.

[0034] If the toner cartridge 80 is not positioned accurately, there is a higher possibility of erroneous torque detection in the torque inspection performed by the torque inspection station 52, of poor welding in the welding performed by the welding stations 53 and 54, and of writing failure in the writing of information to the IC chip performed by the writing station 55, compared to when the toner cartridge 80 is positioned accurately.

[0035] Holding the toner cartridge 80 in an accurately positioned state by the cartridge holder 30 described above reduces the possibility of erroneous torque detection, poor welding, and failure to write information to the IC chip.

[0036] Next, referring again to Figure 2, the order of the assembly line work for the toner cartridge 80 will be described. In other words, the relationship between the rotation direction of the turntable 20 and the positions of the multiple stations 51 to 56 will be described. In the following description, members that are assigned symbols in Figure 2 will also be designated with the symbols shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0037] The assembly line work for the toner cartridge 80, from the insertion of the toner cartridge 80 to the removal of the toner cartridge 80, includes the torque inspection of the toner cartridge 80, welding of the IC chip holder 90 (first welding and second welding), and writing of information to the IC chip 91. Of these operations, the order of welding of the IC chip holder 90 and writing of information to the IC chip 91 is fixed. Here, "fixed order" means that the order cannot be changed. In other words, the welding of the IC chip holder 90 is performed before the writing of information to the IC chip 91. Either the first welding operation or the second welding operation can be performed first. In the embodiment, as an example, the first welding operation is performed before the second welding operation.

[0038] The inspection device 10 of the embodiment performs the assembly line work for the toner cartridge 80 after the toner cartridge 80 is inserted. The process is carried out in the following order: torque inspection, first welding, second welding, and writing information to the IC chip.

[0039] In the assembly line process for the toner cartridge 80, the turntable 20 rotates clockwise as indicated by the arrow Aa in Fig. 2. As described above, the six stations 51 to 56 are located around the turntable 20. Therefore, the six stations 51 to 56 are located clockwise around the turntable 20, starting from the input station 51, in the following order: torque inspection station 52, first welding station 53, second welding station 54, writing station 55, and removal station 56.

[0040] Of the six stations 51 to 56, four stations excluding the input station 51 and the unloading station 56, namely, the torque inspection station 52, the first welding station 53, the second welding station 54, and the writing station 55, are stations where defects may occur during work. Of these four stations, the torque inspection station 52 has the highest rate of occurrence of work defects. The torque inspection station 52 is located earlier in the production line order than the other three stations, namely, the first welding station 53, the second welding station 54, and the writing station 55.

[0041] As can be seen from the above description of the order of the assembly line, the order of the first and second welding stations 53 and 54 and the writing station 55 is fixed in the assembly line order. That is, the writing station 55 is arranged next to the first and second welding stations 53 and 54 in the assembly line order. Furthermore, the torque inspection station 52 is arranged before the first and second welding stations 53 and 54 in the assembly line order.

[0042] Next, an example of the operation of the inspection device 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of an assembly line performed by the inspection device 10. The flowchart in Fig. 5 shows the operation of the assembly line performed by the inspection device 10 for one toner cartridge 80. The inspection device 10 performs assembly line operations for multiple toner cartridges 80 in parallel. However, for convenience, the following description will focus on one toner cartridge 80 and explain the operation of the assembly line performed by the inspection device 10.

[0043] In step S11, the toner cartridge 80 and the IC chip holder 90 are inserted into the cartridge holder 30 at the insertion station 51. The toner cartridge 80 and the IC chip holder 90 are inserted manually. The IC chip holder 90 is placed in a predetermined position on the toner cartridge 80 by fitting or the like.

[0044] Under the control of the control unit 12, the cartridge holder 30 accurately positions the toner cartridge 80 with the gripping mechanism 36, firmly grips the toner cartridge 80, and holds the toner cartridge 80. Then, under the control of the control unit 12, the turntable 20 rotates to transport the toner cartridge 80 held by the cartridge holder 30 to the torque inspection station 52.

[0045] In step S12, the torque inspection station 52, under the control of the control unit 12, performs a torque inspection on the toner cartridge 80. For example, the torque inspection station 52 inspects whether the toner in the toner cartridge 80 is being properly agitated and whether the toner cartridge 80 is operating properly.

[0046] Next, in step S13, torque inspection station 52 determines whether toner cartridge 80 has passed the torque inspection. Torque inspection station 52 transmits information on whether the torque inspection has passed or failed to control unit 12. Control unit 12 controls the operations of the transport mechanism including turntable 20, the plurality of stations 51 to 56, take-out mechanism 61, and discharge mechanism 62 in accordance with the information on whether the torque inspection has passed or failed.

[0047] If the result of the torque test in step S13 is a pass, the turntable 20 rotates under the control of the control unit 12 to transport the toner cartridge 80 held by the cartridge holder 30 to the first welding station 53.

[0048] In step S14, under the control of the control unit 12, the first welding station 53 welds the first welding portion 92 of the IC chip holder 90 to the container body 81 of the toner cartridge 80. Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 12, the turntable 20 rotates to transport the toner cartridge 80 held by the cartridge holder 30 to the second welding station 54.

[0049] In step S16, under the control of the control unit 12, the second welding station 54 welds the second welding portion 93 of the IC chip holder 90 to the container body 81 of the toner cartridge 80. Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 12, the turntable 20 rotates to transport the toner cartridge 80 held in the cartridge holder 30 to the writing station 55.

[0050] In step S17, writing station 55 writes information to IC chip 91 of IC chip holder 90 under the control of control unit 12. As described above, the information to be written to IC chip 91 includes information such as the model of toner cartridge 80, the color of toner, the time of manufacture and the lot. The information to be written to IC chip 91 is sent by external device 70 to control unit 12, and then control unit 12 sends it to writing station 55.

[0051] After writing, the writing station 55 reads information on the writing result from the IC chip 91. The writing station 55 transmits the information on the writing result to the control unit 12, and the control unit 12 transmits it to the external device 70. The external device 70 determines whether the writing result is good or bad based on the information on the writing result, and transmits information on the determination result to the control unit 12.

[0052] The writing station 55 also applies markings to the toner cartridge 80 to visually identify general information about the toner cartridge 80. Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 12, the turntable 20 rotates to transport the toner cartridge 80 held in the cartridge holder 30 to the removal station 56.

[0053] In step S18, under the control of the control unit 12, the cartridge holder 30 at the removal station 56 releases the grip of the toner cartridge 80 by the gripping mechanism 36, thereby releasing the holding of the toner cartridge 80. Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 12, the removal mechanism 61 removes the toner cartridge 80, which has been released from the holding by the cartridge holder 30, from the removal station 56.

[0054] In step S19, the control unit 12 performs control according to the information on the determination result received from the external device 70, depending on whether the toner cartridge 80 is a pass product or a defective product.

[0055] If the toner cartridge 80 is an approved product, in step S20, the control unit 12 controls the transfer of the approved toner cartridge 80 from the removal mechanism 61 to the discharge mechanism 62 and the discharge of the approved toner cartridge 80 by the discharge mechanism 62. The approved toner cartridge 80 discharged from the discharge mechanism 62 is collected manually.

[0056] If the toner cartridge 80 is defective, in step S21, the control unit 12 controls, for example, the removal mechanism 61 to discard the defective toner cartridge 80. In one example, the control unit 12 controls the removal mechanism 61 to move the defective toner cartridge 80 to a defective product collection box or the like.

[0057] If the result of the torque test in step S13 is a failure, the control unit 12 performs control to discard the toner cartridge 80 as a defective product.

[0058] In one example, the control unit 12 controls the conveying mechanism including the turntable 20 in the same manner as when the torque test result is pass, while controlling the first welding station 53, the second welding station 54, and the writing station 55 so as not to perform welding and writing operations. Thereafter, the control unit 12 controls the cartridge holder 30 to release the toner cartridge 80 at the removal station 56, and then controls the removal mechanism 61 to discard the toner cartridge 80, as in step S21. The unwelded IC chip holder 90 is collected, for example, manually. The removal mechanism 61 may be configured to collect the unwelded IC chip holder 90.

[0059] In another example, control unit 12 controls the transport mechanism including turntable 20 to return toner cartridge 80 from torque inspection station 52 to insertion station 51, as shown by arrow Ab in Fig. 2. In this case, toner cartridge 80 and IC chip holder 90 are manually collected at insertion station 51, and then another toner cartridge 80 and IC chip holder 90 are inserted into cartridge holder 30. At that time, the collected IC chip holder 90 is reused.

[0060] Next, a modified example of the cartridge holder 30 in Fig. 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The cartridge holder 30 according to the modified example has a defective product ejection mechanism 40 at the bottom of the cartridge holder 30 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the defective product ejection mechanism 40 of the cartridge holder 30 according to the modified example.

[0061] The defective product ejection mechanism 40 has a base 41 and a bottom plate 42. The base 41 is a cylindrical member, and the bottom plate 42 is a member that closes an opening at the bottom end of the base 41. A through hole 21 is formed in the turntable 20, and the base 41 is fixed to the turntable 20 at the portion of this through hole 21. The bottom plate 42 can open and close the opening at the bottom end of the base 41. In other words, the bottom plate 42 can rotate around a shaft 43 as a fulcrum. The bottom plate 42 is opened and closed by an actuator (not shown), such as a solenoid. The bottom plate 42 rotates approximately 90 degrees between an open state and a closed state.

[0062] When the bottom plate 42 is closed, it supports the toner cartridge 80. When the bottom plate 42 is open, it exposes the underside of the toner cartridge 80. When the gripping mechanism 36 of the cartridge holder 30 described with reference to FIG. 4 releases its grip on the toner cartridge 80 with the bottom plate 42 open, the toner cartridge 80 falls downward as shown by arrow Ac. As a result, the toner cartridge 80 is ejected from the cartridge holder 30 according to the modified example. After the toner cartridge 80 is ejected, the bottom plate 42 is returned to its closed state.

[0063] The defective product ejection mechanism 40 also has a sensor 44 that detects the presence or absence of the toner cartridge 80 to confirm that the toner cartridge 80 has been ejected, i.e., dropped. For example, the sensor 44 is a reflective optical sensor. The sensor 44 emits light toward the toner cartridge 80, receives the light reflected from the toner cartridge 80, and detects the presence or absence of the toner cartridge 80 based on the intensity of the received light.

[0064] In the inspection device 10 having the cartridge holder 30 according to this modified example, if the torque inspection station 52 determines that the toner cartridge 80 is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit 12 controls the defective product ejection mechanism 40 to eject the defective toner cartridge 80.

[0065] Therefore, when the torque inspection station 52 determines that the toner cartridge 80 is defective, there is no need to return the defective toner cartridge 80 to the insertion station 51. This further shortens the takt time.

[0066] Furthermore, if it is determined that the result of writing information to the IC chip 91 in the writing station 55 is defective, the control unit 12 may also control the defective product ejection mechanism 40 to eject the defective toner cartridge 80.

[0067] As described above, in the inspection device 10 according to the embodiment, the torque inspection station 52, which has a high defect rate, is arranged before the first and second welding stations 53 and 54 and the subsequent writing station 55 in terms of the order of the assembly line. Therefore, when the torque inspection results in a failure, the IC chip holder 90 has not yet been welded to the toner cartridge 80. This makes it possible to reuse the IC chip holder 90, thereby avoiding the needless disposal of the IC chip 91. In other words, the embodiment provides an inspection device 10 for toner cartridges 80 in which fewer IC chips 91 are wasted.

[0068] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. The inventions described in the original claims of this application are set forth below. [1] An inspection device that performs assembly line work on attaching an IC chip to a toner cartridge, writing information to the IC chip, and torque inspection, a plurality of stations for performing each operation of the assembly line; An inspection device in which, among the plurality of stations, stations with a high defect rate are arranged earlier in the order of the assembly line, excluding stations whose order is fixed. [2] a conveying mechanism that conveys the toner cartridge to the plurality of stations in sequence; The inspection apparatus according to [1], further comprising a control unit for controlling the transport mechanism and the plurality of stations. [3] The plurality of stations: an input station into which the toner cartridge and an IC chip holder having the IC chip are input; a torque inspection station for performing a torque inspection on the toner cartridge; a welding station for welding the IC chip holder to the toner cartridge; a writing station for writing information into the IC chip; an unloading station for unloading the toner cartridge; the writing station is arranged next to the welding station in the order of the assembly line, and the order of the writing station and the welding station is fixed; The inspection device according to [2], wherein the torque inspection station is arranged before the welding station in terms of the order of the assembly line. [4] An inspection device as described in [3], wherein if the torque inspection station determines that the toner cartridge is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit controls the transport mechanism to return the toner cartridge to the insertion station. [5] The transport mechanism has a cartridge holder that holds the toner cartridge inserted at the insertion station, the cartridge holder has an ejection mechanism for ejecting the toner cartridge, [3] The inspection device described in [3], wherein if the torque inspection station determines that the toner cartridge is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit controls the ejection mechanism to eject the toner cartridge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10...inspection device, 11...operation panel, 12...control unit, 20...rotary table, 21...through hole, 30...cartridge holder, 31...standing wall, 32...upper guide, 33...middle guide, 34...pressing member, 35...chuck portion, 36...gripping mechanism, 37...shaft, 40...defective product ejection mechanism, 41...base, 42...bottom plate, 43...shaft, 44...sensor, 51...feeding station, 52...torque inspection station, 53...first welding station ation, 54...second welding station, 55...writing station, 56...removal station, 61...removal mechanism, 62...discharge mechanism, 70...external device, 80...toner cartridge, 81...container body, 82...lid body, 83...gripping portion, 85...gear unit, 86...paddle gear, 87...auger gear, 88...torque inspection portion, 90...IC chip holder, 91...IC chip, 92...first welding portion, 93...second welding portion.

Claims

1. An inspection device that performs assembly line work of attaching an IC chip to a toner cartridge, writing information to the IC chip, and torque inspection, a plurality of stations for performing each operation of the assembly line; a transport mechanism that transports the toner cartridge to the plurality of stations in sequence; a control unit that controls the transport mechanism and the plurality of stations; Among the plurality of stations, stations with a high defect rate are arranged at the front of the order of the assembly line, excluding stations whose order is fixed, The plurality of stations include: an input station into which the toner cartridge and an IC chip holder having the IC chip are input; a torque inspection station for performing a torque inspection on the toner cartridge; a welding station for welding the IC chip holder to the toner cartridge; a writing station for writing information into the IC chip; an unloading station for unloading the toner cartridge; the writing station is arranged next to the welding station in the order of the assembly line, and the order of the writing station and the welding station is fixed; the torque inspection station is disposed before the welding station in the order of the assembly line; When the torque inspection station determines that the toner cartridge is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit controls the transport mechanism to return the toner cartridge to the insertion station. Inspection equipment.

2. the transport mechanism has a cartridge holder that holds the toner cartridge inserted at the insertion station; the cartridge holder has an ejection mechanism for ejecting the toner cartridge, When the torque inspection station determines that the toner cartridge is defective as a result of the torque inspection, the control unit controls the ejection mechanism to eject the toner cartridge. The inspection device according to claim 1 .

Images