Device for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder and granular materials

Abstract

To provide technique capable of detecting foreign objects mixed in a granule in a total amount of inspection samples and selecting and discharging the detected foreign objects.SOLUTION: This device for inspecting / discharging a foreign object in a granule comprises: a conveyance belt that conveys the granule at a prescribed speed in a horizontal direction; a hopper disposed above the conveyance belt to store the granule; granule feeding means that is disposed in connection with the lower end opening of the hopper and that drops the granule stored in the hopper on the conveyor belt to feed the granule; imaging means for imaging the granule fed on the conveyance belt from above; foreign object presence / absence determination means for determining the presence / absence of a foreign object on the basis of the imaging result; and foreign object discharge means for discharging the detected foreign object together with the granule near the foreign object from the conveyance belt to the outside. A plurality of hoppers is provided, and an automatic changer is provided for sequentially switching the hoppers to drop the granule on the granule feeding means in the device for inspecting / discharging a foreign object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention is a device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder and granular material. Place More specifically, inspection and removal equipment for foreign matter mixed into powder or granular material (powders or granular materials) that is a product, intermediate product, or raw material of pharmaceuticals, food, ceramics, etc. Place Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of pharmaceuticals, food, ceramic products, etc., sampling inspections are routinely conducted to check for the presence of foreign matter in powders and granules as part of quality control during manufacturing.

[0003] As an inspection device for inspecting whether or not foreign matter has been mixed into such powder or granular material, for example, there is a foreign matter inspection device as shown in Patent Document 1.

[0004] Specifically, a powder or granular material to be inspected (also called a "specimen" in the case of pharmaceuticals) is placed in a container equipped with an internal lifting member, and the surface of the inspected sample is imaged using optical means such as a color CCD camera to detect foreign matter based on differences in brightness, color tone, etc. After the image is captured, the lifting member is raised and the surface of the inspected powder or granular material is scraped off with a scraper, and the newly exposed surface is imaged. By repeating this process sequentially, foreign matter can be detected over a wide area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3750017 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of the above-mentioned foreign matter inspection device, due to its mechanism, it is difficult to inspect the powder or granular material remaining at the bottom of the container, and it is not possible to inspect the entire amount of the inspection sample.

[0007] Furthermore, this foreign matter inspection device simply inspects for the presence or absence of foreign matter in powder or granular materials, and does not sort and discard any detected foreign matter.Furthermore, all test samples after inspection were simply discarded, resulting in a large waste.

[0008] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a foreign matter inspection and discharge technology that can detect foreign matter mixed into powder or granular material across the entire amount of the test sample, and can also sort and discharge detected foreign matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into solving the above problems and have found that the above problems can be solved by the invention described below, thereby completing the present invention.

[0010] The invention described in claim 1 is a conveyor belt that conveys powder and granular material in a horizontal direction at a predetermined speed; a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and configured to accommodate powder and granular material; a powder / granular material supplying means arranged to be connected to a lower end opening of the hopper, for dropping the powder / granular material contained in the hopper onto the conveyor belt; an imaging means for imaging the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; a foreign matter presence / absence determination means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign matter based on the imaging result; and a foreign matter discharge means for discharging the detected foreign matter, together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter, from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system when the foreign matter is detected. 、 A plurality of the hoppers are provided, An autochanger is provided which sequentially switches the hoppers and drops the powder or granule onto the powder or granule supply means. This is an inspection and removal device for foreign matter in powder and granular materials, characterized by the following:

[0011] The invention described in claim 2 is The powder / granular material supply means The roller is disposed below the hopper and has a plurality of grooves formed in the axial direction. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material described in claim 1 is characterized in that it is configured to rotate the roller to cause a predetermined amount of the powder or granular material supplied from the hopper to fall onto the conveying belt.

[0012] The invention described in claim 3 is The device for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material described in claim 1 or claim 2 is characterized in that it is equipped with a thin layer forming means for forming the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveying belt into a thin layer of a predetermined thickness.

[0013] The invention described in claim 4 is The thin layer forming means a cylindrical roller disposed above the conveyor belt with a predetermined clearance; The inspection and removal device for foreign matter in powder and granular material described in claim 3 is characterized in that the powder and granular material transported by the conveying belt is formed into a thin layer by rotating and pressing the cylindrical roller.

[0014] The invention described in claim 5 is The imaging means The inspection and removal device for foreign matter in powder and granular material described in any one of claims 1 to 4 is characterized in that it is equipped with a dome lighting device that illuminates the powder and granular material supplied onto the conveying belt with light from all directions.

[0015] The invention described in claim 6 is The foreign matter discharge means a suction duct provided above the conveyor belt, The inspection and discharge device for foreign matter in powder or granular material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the suction duct is configured to suck the detected foreign matter together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter and discharge them outside the system. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to detect foreign matter mixed into powder or granular material across the entire amount of the test sample, and it is also possible to provide a foreign matter inspection and removal technology that can sort and remove detected foreign matter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view of a main part of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating supply of powder or granular material by a powder or granular material supplying means. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of grooves in a rotor of a powder or granular material supplying means. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a thin layer of supply powder or granular material formed on a conveyor belt. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic front view illustrating the overall configuration of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of a powder or granular material supplying device of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 8 is a schematic front view of the main part of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention will be described below based on embodiments.

[0019] [1] Basic concept of the present invention First, the basic concept of the present invention will be explained.

[0020] The inspection and discharge device for foreign matter in powder and granular materials according to the present invention comprises: (1) a conveyor belt that conveys the powder and granular material horizontally at a predetermined speed; (2) a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and containing the powder and granular material to be inspected; (3) a powder and granular material supply means disposed connected to the lower opening of the hopper and supplying a predetermined amount of the powder and granular material contained in the hopper by dropping it onto the conveyor belt; (4) an imaging means that images the powder and granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; (5) a foreign matter presence / absence determination means that determines the presence or absence of a foreign matter based on the imaging results; and (6) a foreign matter discharge means that, if a foreign matter is detected, discharges the detected foreign matter from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder and granular material near the foreign matter.

[0021] The method for inspecting and removing foreign matter in powder or granular material according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0022] (1) Powder supply process: A process in which powder stored in a designated container is dropped onto a conveyor belt. (2) Imaging process: A process of imaging powder and granular materials fed onto a conveyor belt from above. (3) Foreign matter presence determination process: A process of determining the presence or absence of foreign matter based on the imaging results. (4) Foreign matter discharge process: When a foreign matter is detected, the detected foreign matter is discharged from the conveyor belt along with the powder or granular material around the foreign matter.

[0023] By using the above-mentioned device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder and granular materials and imaging a predetermined amount of powder and granular material that has been dropped and supplied onto a conveying belt as described above from above the conveying belt, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of foreign matter based on the difference between the light that reaches the imaging means from powder and granular material that has contained foreign matter and the light that reaches the imaging means from powder and granular material that has not contained foreign matter.

[0024] In the present invention, the powder or granular material is successively dropped onto a conveyor belt and inspected on the conveyor belt. Therefore, unlike the conventional inspection described above, in which the surface of the inspection sample contained in a container with a lifting member inside is successively scraped and photographed to inspect for the presence or absence of foreign matter, no uninspected powder or granular material remains at the bottom of the container, and foreign matter can be detected throughout the entire amount of powder or granular material to be inspected.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present invention, if a foreign object is detected, the detected foreign object is discharged from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with any powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign object. This allows the detected foreign object to be sorted and its material identified, which can be reflected in subsequent quality control.

[0026] [2] Specific embodiments A detailed description will be given below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0027] 1. First embodiment (1) Main parts of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment First, the main parts of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the main components of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. In Figure 1, 1 denotes the foreign matter inspection and discharge device, 11 denotes a hopper, 12 denotes powder or granular material supply means, 13 denotes a conveyor belt, 14 denotes a thin layer forming means, 15 denotes an imaging means, 16 denotes a foreign matter discharge means, and 17 denotes an inspected powder or granular material recovery unit. Furthermore, P denotes the powder or granular material to be inspected (inspection sample).

[0029] (a) Hopper Hopper 11 is a container that holds powdered or granular material P to be inspected, and as shown in Fig. 1, it comprises a main body 11a and a chute 11b. Main body 11a is detachably attached to the upper side of a casing 12a of powdered or granular material supplying means 12, and the lower end of main body 11a is connected to the upper end of chute 11b. Shooter 11b is disposed at the top of casing 12a, and powdered or granular material P is supplied to powdered or granular material supplying means 12 from the opening at the lower end of chute 11b.

[0030] (b) Powder supply means The powder / granular material supplying means 12 drops the powder / granular material P supplied via the lower end opening of the chute section 11b onto the conveyor belt 13 in predetermined amounts.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the supply of powder P by the powder supply means 12. As shown in Fig. 2, a cylindrical rotor 12b is disposed in the lower part of the casing 12a so as to contact the lower end opening of the chute section 11b.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, multiple grooves 12c of constant length and depth are formed at equal intervals in the axial direction on the circumferential surface of rotor 12b. Rotor 12b rotates at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow. The lower side of rotor 12b is open, and a predetermined gap is provided between the circumferential surface and the upper surface of conveyor belt 13.

[0033] The powder P contained in the hopper 11 is supplied to the groove 12c of the rotor 12b via the lower end opening of the chute section 11b. The powder P supplied to the groove 12c then gradually falls from the groove 12c as the rotor 12b rotates. At this time, the grooves 12c are provided at predetermined intervals on the circumferential surface of the rotor, so that the powder P is supplied intermittently onto the conveyor belt 13.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of grooves in rotor 12b, showing a portion of the circumferential surface developed into a plane. Note that in Fig. 3, the double-headed arrow indicates the axial direction of rotor 12b. As shown in Fig. 3, grooves 12c are formed in the axial direction of rotor 12b, i.e., formed parallel to the longitudinal direction of rotor 12b, and multiple grooves 12c are formed at equal intervals over the entire circumferential surface of rotor 12b.

[0035] The grooves 12c each have a uniform cross-sectional shape and are formed with constant area and volume. The cross-sectional shape of the grooves 12c is not particularly limited, but a shape with a smooth curved surface without corners, such as a semicircular or semi-oval shape, is preferable to prevent the powder or granular material P from remaining in the grooves 12c. The spacing and volume of the grooves 12c are appropriately set taking into consideration the spread and amount of the powder or granular material P when it is supplied onto the conveyor belt 13.

[0036] By dropping and supplying the powder P onto the conveyor belt 13 through such a rotor 12b, a thin layer (hereinafter simply referred to as a "thin layer") Pl of the powder P can be formed at equal intervals on the conveyor belt 13, as shown in Figure 4.

[0037] The powder / granular material supplying means 12 is provided with a rotation speed adjusting mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor 12b. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the rotation speed of the rotor 12b so that the powder / granular material P is filled from the shooter portion 11b into the groove 12c without any gaps and gradually falls from the groove 12c, even if the properties such as fluidity differ depending on the powder / granular material.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the grooves provided in rotor 12b are formed parallel to the axial direction, but the grooves may be slightly inclined from one end to the other end in the axial direction.

[0039] In the case of normal foreign substance inspection, the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 13 is preferably about 3 m / min.

[0040] The casing 12a and rotor 12b of the powder / granular material supplying means 12 are preferably made of metal to prevent static electricity buildup, and aluminum is particularly preferred for its corrosion resistance and workability. To prevent static buildup, including on the conveyor belt 13, it is preferable to provide an ionizer or the like.

[0041] (c) Thin layer forming means As described above, the powder or granular material P supplied onto the conveyor belt 13 forms a thin layer Pl. At this time, the thickness of the thin layer Pl can be appropriately controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor 12b and the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 13 according to the particle size and fluidity of the powder or granular material, but it is not easy to adjust these speeds for each powder or granular material.

[0042] During the inspection, it is necessary to adjust the thickness of the thin layer P1 so that the foreign matter does not get embedded inside the thin layer P1. Specifically, since the foreign matter inspection and removal device according to this embodiment is generally used to detect foreign matter of about 50 μm in size, it is necessary to make the thickness thin to the order of microns.

[0043] Furthermore, it is necessary to make the thickness of the thin layer Pl as uniform as possible. If the thickness of the thin layer Pl varies, the reflection from the thin layer Pl will also vary and be captured by the imaging means, which may result in erroneous detection of a foreign object.

[0044] Therefore, as in this embodiment, in order to form a thin layer Pl of uniform thickness before imaging, it is preferable to provide a thin layer forming means 14 as shown in Fig. 1. This allows the thickness to be reduced to about 50 µm, and also allows the thin layer Pl of uniform thickness with a smooth surface to be continuously formed, thereby enabling foreign matter to be detected with high accuracy.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thin layer forming means 14 includes a cylindrical leveling roller 14a, a clearance adjusting mechanism 14b, a powder guide 14c, and a scraper 14d.

[0046] The leveling roller 14a is supported by a rotary drive device (not shown). The rotary drive device is supported by a clearance adjustment mechanism 14b and moves up and down as shown by the vertical bidirectional arrow in FIG. 1. This allows the size of the clearance between the leveling roller 14a and the conveyor belt 13 to be adjusted. Meanwhile, the conveyor belt 13 is supported at its lower side by a conveyor belt support plate 13a to prevent it from bending. As a result, the adjusted clearance can be accurately maintained, and the powder P can be sent to the imaging means at a uniform thickness.

[0047] It is preferable that the specific clearance be set to a value slightly larger than the size of the foreign matter, for example, if the size of the foreign matter exceeds 50 μm, it is preferable to set the clearance to about 60 to 100 μm. However, in order to accommodate foreign matter of various sizes, it is preferable that the clearance can be set to about 0 to 3 mm.

[0048] The powder guide 14c is installed upstream of the leveling roller 14a and regulates the width of the thin layer Pl. The scraper 14d removes powder adhering to the surface of the leveling roller 14a. This allows the thickness and width of the thin layer Pl to be appropriately controlled, enabling highly accurate inspection.

[0049] In this embodiment, it is preferable to rotate the leveling roller 14a in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the thin layer Pl, which makes it possible to control the entrapment of the powder or granular material in the clearance and to apply an appropriate pressing force to the powder or granular material, so that the thin layer Pl of uniform thickness can be continuously sent to the imaging means, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0050] (d) Imaging means As shown in Figure 1, the imaging means 15 includes a camera 15a, an image data transmission cable 15b, an illumination means 15c, and a power cable 15d. An area sensor type color CCD camera, for example, is preferably used as the camera 15a. The camera 15a is housed in a cylindrical body and is focused on the surface of the thin layer Pl being transported on the transport belt 13. The lower part of the cylindrical body is connected to the illumination means 15c, and the camera 15a and the illumination means 15c form a unit.

[0051] The illumination means 15c emits light by the current supplied from the power cable 15d, illuminating the surface of the thin layer P1, which allows a sufficient amount of light to be sent from the surface of the thin layer P1 to the camera 15a, enabling brighter imaging and more accurate detection of foreign objects.

[0052] In this case, it is preferable to use a dome lighting device as the lighting means 15c, which illuminates the thin layer Pl on the conveyor belt with light from all directions. This allows the surface of the thin layer Pl to be uniformly illuminated with stronger light, thereby enabling more accurate detection of foreign matter. The dome lighting device in Figure 1 has multiple light sources inside the dome, but the top of the dome is open, so that the illuminated surface of the thin layer Pl can be imaged by the camera 15a through this opening.

[0053] (e) Means for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter The captured image data is transmitted via image data transmission cable 15b to a foreign object detection device (not shown), which is a foreign object presence / absence determination means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign object. The foreign object detection device is equipped with a computer and creates an image from the captured image data using known image data processing. It also detects foreign objects based on the created image and identifies the position of the detected foreign objects.

[0054] (f) Foreign matter ejection means After the foreign matter presence determination is completed, the thin layer Pl is transported to the foreign matter discharge means 16. At this time, if the foreign matter presence determination means determines that foreign matter has been mixed into the thin layer Pl, the foreign matter discharge means 16 discharges the detected foreign matter, together with any powder or granular material near the foreign matter, from the conveyor belt to outside the foreign matter inspection system.

[0055] The foreign matter discharge means is not particularly limited as long as it can discharge the detected foreign matter from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with any powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter, but from the viewpoint of efficient foreign matter removal, suction discharge is preferred.

[0056] 1, in this embodiment, foreign matter discharge means 16 is disposed above conveyor belt 13 and includes suction control section 16a, suction duct 16b, a suction device (not shown), and a foreign matter collection container (not shown). Suction duct 16b is connected to the suction device and has suction port 16c at its lower end that opens above conveyor belt 13.

[0057] In the foreign matter discharge means 16, the suction control unit 16a controls the opening and closing of the suction port 16c based on the determination result sent from the foreign matter presence determination means. As a result, if a foreign matter is detected, the detected foreign matter is sucked and discharged from the conveyor belt 13 together with the powder or granular material nearby the foreign matter. The discharged powder or granular material is then collected in a foreign matter collection container.

[0058] By collecting the detected foreign matter in this way, the material of the foreign matter can be identified, and this information can be reflected in subsequent quality control.

[0059] The thin layer P1 in which no foreign matter is detected passes under the foreign matter discharge means 16 and is collected in the inspected powder / granular material collection section 17 provided downstream.

[0060] As shown in Figure 1, the inspected powder and granular material recovery unit 17 includes a scraper 17a, a chute 17b, and a recovery container storage space 17c. A powder and granular material recovery container is placed in the recovery container storage space 17c, and powder and granular material that has not been detected as containing foreign matter falls down the chute 17b and is stored in the powder and granular material recovery container. At this time, the scraper 17a scrapes off powder particles adhering to the conveyor belt 13 and drops them onto the chute 17b.

[0061] In this way, by recovering powder or granular material in which no foreign matter is detected, production losses can be reduced.

[0062] (2) Overall structure of the foreign object inspection and removal device incorporating each main part Next, the overall configuration of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment, in which the above-mentioned main components are incorporated, will be described.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view illustrating the overall configuration of a foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the foreign matter inspection and discharge device 1 according to this embodiment has the above-mentioned main components housed in a transparent chamber (housing) 21. It also includes a touch-panel operation panel 22 and an image monitor 23 that displays images of powder and granular material. A lower space 32 is provided below the chamber 21, and necessary devices are housed in the lower space 32, such as a control device for controlling the operation of the device, a suction device, a dust collector, and an air purge device for maintaining a low-temperature environment inside the chamber 21 as needed. All of these devices are electrically operated, allowing the device to be installed anywhere with a power source.

[0064] In addition, by incorporating a PLC into the control device, all processes can be carried out fully automatically by simply supplying the powder to the hopper.

[0065] 2. Second embodiment This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that when the powder or granular material is dropped onto the conveyor belt, an air flow is blown horizontally from the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt at a predetermined flow rate onto the falling powder or granular material, forming a thin layer of powder or granular material.

[0066] In this embodiment, a horizontal airflow is applied to the falling powder / granules, dispersing them before they reach the conveyor belt. This ensures reliable dispersion even when targeting powder / granules with poor fluidity. Furthermore, by continuously dropping the powder / granules and appropriately adjusting the conveying speed of the conveyor belt according to the amount of powder / granules falling, a thin layer with minimal thickness variation can be stably formed. This allows foreign matter contamination inspections to be performed on a larger number of powder / granules without the need for the thin layer forming means described above, simplifying the equipment and process.

[0067] 6 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of a powder or granular material supplying device of a foreign material inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, an airflow generating device 12d, for example, an air blower, is provided in the space between the powder or granular material supplying means 12 and the conveyor belt 13 to generate an airflow Ab that is horizontal in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 13 and has a predetermined flow velocity.

[0068] In the above description, the "predetermined flow rate" means a flow rate that can properly disperse the powder P and cause all of the powder P to fall onto the conveyor belt 13, and is determined appropriately depending on the particle size, density, etc. of the powder P.

[0069] In addition, a gap C is provided between the casing 12a and the peripheral surfaces of the upper half and horizontal side portions of the rotor 12b, so that the powder P gradually falls before the grooves 12c face downward. Furthermore, by increasing the number of grooves 12c and narrowing the intervals between the grooves, the powder P falls more reliably, continuously, and quantitatively.

[0070] As described above, even without providing an air blower to generate an air current, the powder can be dispersed by adjusting the properties and state of the powder, the falling speed from the rotor, the conveying speed of the conveyor belt, etc., and it is possible to supply powder that can be properly imaged without providing the thin layer forming means described above.

[0071] 3. Third Embodiment This embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that it uses multiple small-capacity hoppers, and in that it determines whether or not there are foreign objects in each hopper, and sorts out foreign objects by collecting inspected products from each hopper.

[0072] By doing so, the amount of powder and granular material stored in each hopper can be reduced, and foreign matter can be easily collected.

[0073] Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view of the foreign matter inspection and discharge device according to this embodiment, Fig. 8 is a schematic front view, and Fig. 9 is a schematic front view of the main parts. The foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 according to this embodiment has 20 small-capacity hoppers 11, each of which is arranged on a turntable of an autochanger 41 and has a shutter 11c at its bottom that can be opened and closed. The turntable of the autochanger 41 rotates intermittently by driving a stepping motor or the like, and sequentially feeds the hoppers 11 onto the powder and granular material supply means 12.

[0074] The powder / granular material supplying means 12 is equipped with a shutter opening / closing mechanism 12e. After the hopper 11 containing the powder / granular material P is sent to the powder / granular material supplying means 12, the shutter 11c is opened by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 12e, and the powder / granular material P is supplied from the powder / granular material supplying means 12 onto the conveyor belt 13. After the supply is completed, the shutter 11c is closed.

[0075] In this embodiment, the foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 is equipped with a reversing mechanism 43 for the powder or granular material supply means 12 and a cleaning area 42. The reversing mechanism 43 sends the powder or granular material supply means 12, which has finished dispersing the powder or granular material P, into the cleaning area 42. The cleaning area 42 is equipped with an air blowing section 42a at its top and a suction section 42b at its bottom, and removes powder or granular material adhering to the casing 12a and rotor 12b by blowing air onto the sent-in powder or granular material supply means 12. After cleaning is completed, the reversing mechanism 43 is reversed, and the powder or granular material supply means 12 is returned to the turntable.

[0076] The foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 also includes a hopper (container) cleaning device 44. The hopper cleaning device 44 has a shutter opening and closing mechanism, which opens the shutter 11c before powder or granular material P is added to the hopper 11, then sucks the inside of the hopper 11 to remove any powder or granular material adhering to the hopper 11, and then closes the shutter 11c. After the shutter 11c is closed, the next powder or granular material is added to the hopper 11 as needed. By repeating the above operations, powder or granular material P from multiple hoppers 11 is sequentially supplied onto the conveyor belt 13.

[0077] The thin layer P1 formed by the powder P supplied onto the conveyor belt 13 is conveyed to an imaging process, where it is imaged by imaging means 15. Based on the image, the presence or absence of foreign matter is determined for each hopper. The image and the determination results are recorded in a foreign matter detector 15e. Powder containing foreign matter is then sorted out based on the recorded determination results. Reference numeral 13b denotes a drive device for the conveyor belt 13.

[0078] After inspection, the thin layer P1 is collected by inspected powder / granular material collecting means for each hopper in the inspected powder / granular material collecting section 18, which is provided at the downstream end of the conveyor belt 13. The inspected powder / granular material collecting section 18 is equipped with a scraper 18a for removing powder / granular material adhering to the conveyor belt 13, a chute 18b, and a collection container storage space 18c. The collection container storage space 18c stores multiple collection containers, which are replaced for each hopper. Reference numeral 45 denotes an ionizer.

[0079] The foreign matter inspection and discharge device 2 has a cleaning area 42, a hopper cleaning device 44, and other features to enhance the cleaning function inside the chamber 21. Therefore, a dust collector 52 is installed in a storage space 51 provided at the bottom of the chamber 21.

[0080] In this way, multiple hoppers can be used to continuously inspect and sort multiple powders and granules, making it suitable for inspecting and sorting a wide variety of powders and granules for foreign matter, and these inspection operations can be performed continuously and unmanned.In addition, since the amount of powder and granules supplied per hopper is small, the thin layer forming means (leveling roller) can be omitted as appropriate.

[0081] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments within the scope of the same or equivalent to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 2 Foreign body inspection and removal device 11 Hopper 11a Main body 11b Shooter Club 11c Shutter 12 Powder supply means 12a casing 12b rotor 12c groove 12d Airflow Generator 12e Shutter opening and closing mechanism 13 Conveyor belt 13a Conveyor belt support plate 13b Conveyor belt drive device 14 Thin layer forming means 14a Smoothing roller 14b Clearance adjustment mechanism 14c Powder and Granular Materials Guide 14d, 17a, 18a scrapers 15 Imaging means 15a Camera 15b Image data transmission cable 15c Lighting means 15d power cable 15e Foreign object detection device 16 Foreign matter ejection means 16a Suction control unit 16b Suction duct 16c Intake port 17, 18 Inspected powder and granular material recovery section 17b, 18b Shooter 17c, 18c Collection container storage space 21 Chamber 22 Control panel 23 Picture monitor 32 Lower space 41 Autochanger 42 Cleaning Area 42a Air blow section 42b Suction part 43 Reversal mechanism 44 Hopper cleaning device 45 Ionizer 51 Storage Space 52 Dust collector Ab airflow C Gap P (inspection target) powder Pl (of granular material)

Claims

1. a conveyor belt that conveys powder and granular material in a horizontal direction at a predetermined speed; a hopper disposed above the conveyor belt and configured to accommodate powder and granular material; a powder / granular material supplying means arranged to be connected to a lower end opening of the hopper, for dropping the powder / granular material contained in the hopper onto the conveyor belt; an imaging means for imaging the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveyor belt from above; a foreign matter presence / absence determination means for determining the presence or absence of a foreign matter based on the imaging result; a foreign matter discharge means for discharging the detected foreign matter from the conveyor belt to the outside of the system together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter when the foreign matter is detected, A plurality of the hoppers are provided, An apparatus for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material, comprising an autochanger which sequentially switches the hoppers and drops the powder or granular material onto the powder or granular material supply means.

2. The powder / granular material supply means The roller is disposed below the hopper and has a plurality of grooves formed in the axial direction.

2. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to rotate the roller to cause a predetermined amount of the powder or granular material supplied from the hopper to fall onto the conveyor belt.

3. 3. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, further comprising a thin layer forming means for forming the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveying belt into a thin layer of a predetermined thickness.

4. The thin layer forming means a cylindrical roller disposed above the conveyor belt with a predetermined clearance; 4. The device for inspecting and discharging foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 3, wherein the powder or granular material transported by the conveying belt is formed into a thin layer by rotating and pressing the cylindrical roller.

5. The imaging means 5. The inspection and removal device for foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, further comprising a dome lighting device that illuminates the powder or granular material supplied onto the conveying belt with light from all directions.

6. The foreign matter discharge means a suction duct provided above the conveyor belt, 6. The inspection and discharge device for foreign matter in powder or granular material according to claim 1, wherein the suction duct is configured to suck in the detected foreign matter together with the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the foreign matter and discharge them outside the system.

Images