Product inspection device

Abstract

To provide an article inspection device which can execute stable sorting operations even if an article transport speed is increased, and allows even unskilled operators to easily set stable sorting operation timing.SOLUTION: An article inspection device includes: a timer 48 which manages a time Tp from a time point t0 when a specific attention point Ew of an article W is detected by a sensor 15 to the inspection result output; a timer 51 which manages a delay time Trs from the elapsed time point t1 of the time Tp until the inspected article W reaches a sorting start transport position Prj; and delay time correction means 53 which, in response to a setting request Rqm, calculates a pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1) from the elapsed time point t1 to a time point t2 when the attention point Ew is detected by a sensor 17, and a transport delay time from the time point t2 until the article W reaches the position Prj, calculates a correction delay time Ta from the time-up point t3 of the delay time management timer 51 to the input of a sorting command signal to a sorting unit 30 on the basis of these times, and corrects the sorting delay time Trs by adding the correction delay time Ta.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article inspection device, and more particularly to an article inspection device including an inspection unit that inspects articles and a sorting unit that performs a sorting operation according to the inspection results thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an article inspection device including an inspection unit that inspects for excess or deficiency in weight and for the inclusion of foreign substances such as metal while transporting articles, and a sorting unit that is connected to the downstream side in the transport direction of this inspection unit and sorts articles according to the inspection results of the inspection unit has been widely used.

[0003] In such an article inspection device, for example, in a weight sorter, the transport speed of the inspection unit is set so that inspection and sorting are stably performed on the inspection line in consideration of the transport speed and sorting ability of the sorting unit. For example, the time required for inspection and measurement in the inspection unit and the sorting delay time from the output of the inspection measurement result to the start of the sorting operation are calculated in advance, and these are added to set the scheduled time until the start of sorting, and the sorting operation is performed after waiting for the elapse of the scheduled time (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Also, in an article inspection device including a pusher-type sorter, when the article interval between the article to be sorted and the subsequent article becomes shorter than the predetermined operation time, even if the pushing member is reciprocated by the shortened operation time corresponding to that interval, if the ratio (transport path width in the discharge direction / article width) at which the workpiece W deviates from the transport path becomes a predetermined value or more, the sorting operation time is controlled so that the pushing member returns quickly to the pushing start position side from the midway turning point before reaching the normal pushing end position (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] However, with the conventional former type of product inspection device described above, there was a problem in that, for product types where the transfer time from the inspection unit to the sorting unit is prone to variation, it is necessary to ensure that the items to be sorted reach the designated transport position by the scheduled start time of the sorting operation and to perform a stable sorting operation. If the product transport speed is not kept at a certain low speed, it is difficult to perform a sorting operation with stable timing, which leads to a decrease in production efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, in the aforementioned conventional latter product inspection device, while it is possible to reduce the need to lower the product transport speed by controlling the pusher's early return to shorten the sorting operation time, this becomes difficult if the product extrusion rate is insufficient when the pusher is returned early. Therefore, there was still a problem in that it was difficult to perform sorting operations with stable timing.

[0008] Furthermore, as the number of parameters that need to be changed to set the timing of the sorting operation increases, it becomes difficult for inexperienced users to evaluate whether the settings are appropriate, making it difficult for them to improve their proficiency.

[0009] The present invention aims to solve the conventional problems described above, and to provide an item inspection device that can perform sorting operations with stable timing even when the item transport speed is increased, and that allows even inexperienced users to easily set stable sorting timing during setup work such as item registration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The article inspection apparatus according to the present invention, in order to achieve the above objective, comprises: (1) a transport unit that transports articles along a predetermined transport path; an inspection unit that inspects the articles being transported for a predetermined quality state within a predetermined inspection section in the transport path; a sorting unit that responds to a sorting command signal input and sorts the inspected articles inspected by the inspection unit according to the inspection results; and a control unit that controls the inspection unit and the sorting unit, wherein the apparatus has a first article detection sensor located on the entrance side of the predetermined inspection section and a second article detection sensor located on the entrance side of the sorting section downstream of the predetermined inspection section, and the control unit manages the inspection time from the time a specific point of interest of the article is detected by the first article detection sensor until the inspection unit outputs the inspection result of the inspected article whose predetermined quality state has been inspected. The system is characterized by comprising: a delay time management timer that manages a preset sorting delay time, which is the time from the time the inspection time has elapsed until the inspected items reach a sorting start transport position suitable for starting the sorting operation of the sorting unit; and a delay time correction means that, in response to a predetermined setting request, calculates a delay time from the time the second item detection sensor detects a specific point of interest on the inspected items until the inspected items reach the sorting start transport position, calculates a corrected delay time from the time the delay time management timer times up until the sorting unit receives the sorting command signal based on the delay time and the sorting delay time, adds the corrected delay time to the preset sorting delay time to correct the delay time from the time the inspection time has elapsed until the sorting unit receives the sorting command signal.

[0011] This configuration ensures that the time required from the start of item inspection to the start of sorting is accurately managed by a preset inspection time and sorting delay time. Furthermore, in response to a predetermined setting request, a delay time correction means calculates a corrected delay time from the time the delay time management timer time-up until a sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit, based on the time from the elapsed inspection time until the inspected item is detected by the second item detection sensor, a predetermined delay time from the time the second item is detected until the inspected item reaches a transport position suitable for the start of sorting, and a preset sorting delay time. By adding this corrected delay time to the preset sorting delay time, the sorting delay time to be set on the delay time management timer is corrected to a delay time that corresponds to the transport influence from the elapsed inspection time until a sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit. Therefore, even inexperienced users can easily set a stable sorting timing by passing an appropriate number of item samples through the inspection unit while generating a predetermined setting request during the setting work for each item type. Furthermore, the parameters that need to be changed to set the timing of the sorting operation are minimized, and there is no decrease in transport speed or variation in transport speed between the inspection and sorting sections. This effectively avoids a decrease in production efficiency, and even inexperienced users can easily and accurately determine the appropriateness of the settings using defective samples, etc.

[0012] (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system may further include a display operation unit that outputs a predetermined setting request by operator operation, and a variety registration memory that stores at least the inspection time and the sorting delay time as setting parameters for each variety of article. In this case, the timing of the sorting operation can be easily set while the display operation unit generates a predetermined setting request, and the setting information can be accurately stored in the variety registration memory as part of the setting information for each variety.

[0013] (3) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inspection unit includes a weight calculation means for measuring the weight of the article being transported within a predetermined inspection section in the transport path, and a determination means for comparing the measured weight with a preset allowable weight range to determine the sorting direction of the article, and the sorting unit performs a sorting operation according to the sorting direction of the article determined by the determination means. In this case, even if the measurement and determination processing cycle of the weight calculation means is short and the transport speed is high, the inspection time and sorting delay time can be accurately preset based on the device conditions with respect to the time of article detection by the first article detection sensor, and a stable sorting operation timing can be set by passing an appropriate number of article samples through the inspection unit while generating a predetermined setting request, thereby accurately correcting the timing of the sorting operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, even when the item transport speed is increased, a sorting operation with stable timing can be performed, and an item inspection device can be provided that allows even inexperienced users to easily set a stable sorting operation timing during setup work such as item registration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a weight-sorting type article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing two defective sorting directions and one good sorting direction for an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic block diagram of the control unit of a weight-sorting type article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a timing chart showing the signal changes in each part of the control unit of an article inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Figs. 1 to 5 show an article inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] First, the configuration will be described.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the article inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a conveyance unit 10 that conveys an article W along a predetermined conveyance path, an inspection unit 20 that inspects a predetermined quality state of the article W within a predetermined inspection section Zw in the conveyance path, a sorting unit 30 that operates in response to an input of a sorting command signal and sorts the inspected article W inspected by the inspection unit 20 according to the inspection result, and a control unit 40 that controls the conveyance unit 10, the inspection unit 20, and the sorting unit 30, and is of a weight sorting method.

[0020] The conveyance unit 10 is composed of a plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 arranged in a row in the left-right direction in Fig. 1 and their conveyance driving means. Although not shown in detail, these conveyor units 11 to 14 support a plurality of loop-shaped conveyor belts by a plurality of driving-side and driven-side rollers parallel to each other so as to be conveyance-drivable, and can sequentially convey the article W in the right direction in Fig. 1. Further, the conveyance driving means of the plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 is composed of a conveyance driving motor, an encoder for detecting its speed, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 40 so as to have a conveyance speed set for each type of the article W.

[0021] The inspection unit 20 includes a weighing platform 21 that supports the conveyor unit 12, and a weighing unit 22 that measures the weight or loading load applied to the weighing platform 21 by an electromagnetic balance scale or a load cell scale. The weighing unit 22 can output a measurement signal corresponding to the load to the control unit 40 side. Here, although the weighing platform 21 and the weighing unit 22 are schematically illustrated, it is needless to say that their arrangements, numbers, weighing conditions, etc. are not particularly limited. Also, here the inspection unit 20 is capable of measuring the weight of the article W, but of course, it may be an inspection unit of other article inspection methods.

[0022] The sorting unit 30 includes a support frame 31 that supports the conveyor unit 13, a pair of sorting members, for example, flipper arms 33A and 33B, that are rotatably supported by the support frame 31 so as to be located on both sides in the conveyance path width direction of the conveyor unit 13, and a sorting drive unit 32 that drives both flipper arms 33A and 33B for sorting. Here, the sorting drive unit 32 is a sorting mechanism that can sort the discharge direction of the article W in a direction corresponding to the sorting command signal by moving or holding the flipper arms 33A and 33B in relative postures corresponding to the sorting command signals respectively, for example, a rotary actuator, or an air cylinder, a rotation-linear motion conversion mechanism, an electromagnetic switching valve, etc.

[0023] In this sorting unit 30, when any one of the two flipper arms 33A and 33B enters onto the conveyor unit 13 so as to intersect the article conveyance direction at a predetermined angle, it takes a predetermined discharge-side operating posture, for example, the posture of the flipper arm 33A shown by the broken line in Fig. 3(a), or the posture of the flipper arm 33B shown by the broken line in Fig. 3(b). Also, when both flipper arms 33A and 33B retract from the conveyor unit 13 and become substantially parallel to each other, they take a non-discharge operating posture, that is, a sorting operating posture on the pass side, to allow the article W on the conveyor unit to pass downstream without being sorted and discharged to the side.

[0024] Near the upstream end of the conveyor unit 12, which is on the entrance side of a predetermined inspection section Zw of the inspection section 20, an item detection sensor 15 for detecting items W being brought onto the conveyor unit 12 is provided. Near the upstream end of the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting section 30, which is downstream from the predetermined inspection section Zw (on the entrance side of the sorting section Zrj in Figure 3), an item detection sensor 17 is provided to detect items W that can be sorted and brought onto the conveyor unit 13. Both of these item detection sensors 15 and 17 are composed of photoelectric sensors of the light-emitting and receiving type, for example, light emitted by a light-emitting element and received by a light-receiving element, and are detected when light is blocked between the light-emitting and receiving elements by an item W.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 40 is composed of an inspection control unit 41 and a sorting control unit 42. The weighing signal output from the weighing unit 22 is taken up by the inspection control unit 41, and predetermined measurement and inspection processing is performed. A display operation unit 43 is also connected to the control unit 40 for the operator to perform input operations and confirm the results.

[0026] The control unit 40 has a computer configuration including, for example, a CPU, ROM, RAM, and I / O interfaces, and is configured to include, for example, a programmable controller that provides input / output signals to drivers for various drives.

[0027] The predetermined measurement and inspection process in the inspection control unit 41 involves determining whether the measured weight of the item W, based on the weighing signal from the weighing unit 22, is within the acceptable range, exceeds the acceptable range (overweight), or falls below the acceptable range (underweight). When a predetermined inspection time Tp (measurement time) has elapsed from the time of arrival detection by the item detection sensor 15 for arrival detection, the inspection control unit 41 outputs an OK signal, an NG1 signal, or an NG2 signal. The inspection control unit 41 has multiple measurement and inspection processing programs to perform this processing function.

[0028] Furthermore, the sorting control unit 42 measures a predetermined sorting delay time Trs using a timer from time t1, when a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed from the time t0 (see Figure 5) when the incoming item is detected by the item detection sensor 15 for incoming item detection. When the sorting delay time Trs has elapsed, the sorting control unit 42 either outputs a sorting command RJ1 or RJ2 corresponding to the NG1 signal or NG2 signal from the inspection control unit 41 as a discharge command signal, or it outputs an OFF command signal corresponding to the OK signal, without outputting either the NG1 signal or the NG2 signal, and passes the item to the downstream conveyor unit 14.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the inspection control unit 41 specifically includes, for example, a sampling circuit 44, a weight calculation means 45, a determination means 46, a determination result memory 47, a measurement time management timer 48, and a variety registration memory 49, while the sorting control unit 42 includes, for example, a delay time management timer 51, a delay time setting unit 53, and a sorting command output unit 55.

[0030] Here, the sampling circuit 44 is a circuit that, upon receiving an item detection signal d1 from the item detection sensor 15, closes the switch 44a at a predetermined measurement timing in response to the item detection signal d1. The measurement timing is set according to the stabilization waiting time ts (see Figure 5), which is the time from the start of loading the item W onto the conveyor unit 12 until the weighing signal stabilizes.

[0031] After this stabilization waiting time ts has elapsed, the weighing signal is input to the weight calculation means 45 via switch 44a, and the weight calculation means 45 calculates the weight value of the incoming item W by averaging or other means.

[0032] The weight calculated by the weight calculation means 45 is taken into the determination means 46 as the measured weight, and the determination means 46 compares it with a preset allowable weight range and outputs a determination signal corresponding to the determination result. The determination means 46 may also receive the preliminary inspection signal from the preceding detector and output an overall determination result.

[0033] The determination signal output from the determination means 46 can be a 4-bit determination signal, for example, as shown in Figure 5, if it includes the preliminary inspection signal. If the preliminary inspection signal is OK, for example, the first bit will be "0", and the determination result for weight can be determined by which bit position among the remaining 3 bits is "1".

[0034] For example, this 4-bit judgment signal requests that if the second bit is "1", one of the flipper arms 33A and 33B, which are located on both sides in the transport path width direction of the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30, be moved to the item removal side for a predetermined operating time; if the third bit is "1", the other of the flipper arms 33A and 33B be moved to the item removal side for a predetermined operating time; and if the fourth bit is "1", the signal requests that either the flipper arm 33A or 33B be held on the non-removal side (pass side) or returned to the non-removal side.

[0035] Furthermore, if the first bit is "1", although not shown in Figure 5, it can be used to indicate an NG judgment due to an abnormality or defect occurring upstream of the inspection unit 20, and it can be requested to move either the flipper arm 33A or 33B toward the object removal side.

[0036] The determination signals output from the determination means 46 are sequentially stored in the determination result memory 47. This determination result memory 47 is configured, for example, as a FIFO memory, and can sequentially store multiple determination signals in the order of determination while updating the pointer to the write address with the bit signal "1" that is always included in the determination signal.

[0037] The measurement time management timer 48 is a delay timer that, together with the judgment result memory 47, constitutes a delay means for outputting the judgment result. It has the function of delaying the timing of the judgment signal output from the judgment means 46 by a predetermined inspection time Tp from the time the item detection sensor 15 detects the arrival of the item W.

[0038] The predetermined inspection time Tp set in the measurement time management timer 48 is set for each type of item, based on the time (L / V) of the center of gravity passing through the inspection unit, which is calculated based on the transport speed V of the item W and the length L of the inspection unit 20. It is set within the time range from when the item W is detected by the item detection sensor 15 for input detection until it is brought onto the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20 and all or part of the weight of the item W is input as a load to the weighing unit 22. At a minimum, the delay time is set to include the time required for weighing the item W while its center of gravity (which can be substituted with the midpoint of the transport direction length) moves along the transport surface of the conveyor unit 12 while its weight is supported solely by the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20.

[0039] The control unit 40 includes an inspection time management timer 48 that manages the inspection time Tp as a first delay time, from the time t0 when a specific point of interest of the article W, for example, the leading edge Ew of the article W shown in Figure 1, is detected by the first article detection sensor 15 until the inspection result of the inspected article W in the inspection unit 20 is output from the determination means 46; and a delay time management timer 51 that manages the sorting delay time Trs as a second delay time, from the time t1 when the inspection time Tp has elapsed until the inspected article W reaches the transport position Prj (see Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) suitable for starting the sorting operation of the sorting unit 30.

[0040] Here, the judgment result memory 47 updates the write address pointer with a "1" bit signal that is always included in the judgment signal from the judgment means 46, and updates the read address pointer each time it receives an output from the delay time management timer 51 of the sorting control unit 42. Furthermore, the reading of the judgment result from the judgment result memory 47 by the judgment means 46 is performed by the sorting command output unit 55 of the sorting control unit 42, and a judgment result signal is output from the judgment result memory 47 to the sorting command output unit 55 when the reading is performed.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the delay time management timer 51 is activated at time t1, when a predetermined inspection time Tp (first delay time) has elapsed from the first detection time t0, which is the time when the item detection sensor 15 detects the arrival of item W, and when it receives an output signal from the measurement time management timer 48. At time t3, which is a further delay of a preset sorting delay time Trs (second elapsed time) from the time when the delay time Tp has elapsed, it reads and outputs a judgment result signal to the judgment result memory 47. Together with the judgment result memory 47, this delay time management timer 51 constitutes a sorting delay means that delays the output of the judgment result of the judgment means 46 to the sorting control unit 42 until a timing suitable for the start of the sorting operation by the sorting unit 30.

[0042] In other words, the delay time management timer 51 delays the output of the determination result signal from the inspection control unit 41 to the sorting control unit 42 from the first detection time t0, which is the start of loading the item W into the inspection unit 20, until a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed and a sorting delay time Trs has also elapsed, thereby delaying the timing of the sorting command output from the sorting command output unit 55 of the sorting control unit 42 to the sorting drive unit 32.

[0043] The output time for the sorting command (discharge command RJ1 or RJ2 in Figures 2 and 4, or return command OFF) from the sorting command output unit 55 to the sorting drive unit 32 is set to a necessary and sufficient sorting and discharge time for each type of item W, taking into consideration the distance traveled in the transport direction from the transport position Prj of the item W suitable for the discharge operation to be started by the flipper arm 33A or 33B in the sorting unit 30 (see Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) until the item W is discharged laterally from the conveyor unit 13 to the outside of the transport path, the transport speed, and the effects of slippage during discharge.

[0044] On the other hand, the predetermined time Trs for delaying the signal output of the judgment result from the inspection control unit 41 to the sorting control unit 42 is first calculated and automatically set by the delay time setting unit 53 based on the main parameters of the device when registering a product, for example, when specifying or selecting main parameters along with the product name and product number in order to prepare inspection conditions for a specific operating mode for product W, as a basic sorting delay time Trs (which may also be a typical sorting delay time for each similar product group).

[0045] Then, with the automatic settings already in place, when the operator is required to perform an adjustment and preparation operation to pass a sample of item W through the inspection unit 20, the delay time setting unit 53 performs a predetermined delay time setting process based on the timing (time) when the inspected item W is detected by the second item detection sensor 17 in the inspection unit 20, and the signal output of the delay time management timer 51 indicating the elapsed time t3 of the preset sorting delay time Trs. This process corrects the sorting delay time Trs to an optimal value (delay time shown as Tra in Figure 5) based on the actual delay time due to transport effects.

[0046] For example, when a predetermined setting request Rqm (see Figure 4) requesting a specific operation mode is made in the display operation unit 43, and the inspected items W from the inspection unit 20 are transported onto the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30 and detected by the item detection sensor 17, a delay time setting process is executed to correct the automatically set sorting delay time Trs based on the actual delay time.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the delay time setting unit 53 includes a timing means 53a, a correction time calculation means 53b, and a correction memory 53c. When a predetermined setting request Rqm requesting the aforementioned specific operation mode is input from the display operation unit 43, the delay time setting unit 53 first acquires the time information of the second detection time t2 in which the tip Ew (specific point of interest) of the inspected item W is detected by the second item detection sensor 17 using the timing means 53a.

[0048] Furthermore, the delay time setting unit 53, based on the output of the delay time management timer 51 which notifies the sorting delay time Trs and its elapsed time t3 by the correction time calculation means 53b, acquires time information for the time t1 (start time of sorting delay time Trs) when a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed from the first detection time t0, which is the start time when the first item detection sensor 15 starts transporting the item W to the inspection unit 20, and the time t3 (end time of sorting delay time Trs) when a preset sorting delay time Trs has elapsed from that time t1. The unit then calculates the pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1; the time obtained by dividing the transport distance Lp at measurement, shown for convenience in Figure 3(b), by the transport speed V) from the time t1 when the predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed to the second detection time t2.

[0049] Furthermore, the delay time setting unit 53 calculates the time from the second detection time t2, when the leading edge Ew of the inspected item W is detected by the second item detection sensor 17, until the inspected item W reaches the sorting start transport position Prj suitable for starting the sorting operation, for example, the transport delay time (Tw / 2) required for the item W to be transported by half the transport direction length Lw from the second detection time t2 (the time obtained by dividing the transport distance (Lw / 2) shown for convenience in Figure 3(b) by the transport speed V), and the time t3' when that transport delay time (Tw / 2) has elapsed (the total delay time from the first detection time t0 until the predetermined inspection time Tp, the pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1), and the transport delay time (Tw / 2) have elapsed, or the time when the actual sorting delay time Tra, considering the transport influence from the time t1 at which the predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed in Figure 5), or the elapsed time from the first detection time t0.

[0050] The correction memory 53c of the delay time setting unit 53, when a predetermined setting request Rqm is input to the delay time setting unit 53, works in cooperation with the correction time calculation means 53b to read and store the main parameters along with a predetermined inspection time Tp and sorting delay time Trs that have been set in advance from the variety registration memory 49, and provides the stored information for processing by the correction time calculation means 53b.

[0051] The delay time setting unit 53 calculates a corrected delay time Ta (=pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1) + transport delay time (Tw / 2) - preset sorting delay time Trs) from the time-up time t3 of the delay time management timer 51 until a sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 is input to the sorting unit 30, based on the time difference (t3'-t3) between the elapsed time t3' of the transport delay time (Tw / 2) and the elapsed time t3 of the sorting delay time Trs based on the output of the delay time management timer 51. The preset sorting delay time Trs is then corrected to the actual sorting delay time Tra (=Trs+Ta) from the elapsed time t1 of the inspection time Tp until a sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 is input to the sorting unit 30, by adding the corrected delay time Ta to the preset sorting delay time Trs (Trs+Ta).

[0052] When the variety registration memory 49 stores the main parameters that define the inspection conditions under a specific operating mode, as described above, it first stores the sorting delay time Trs, which is automatically set by the delay time setting unit 53 based on the main parameters, as part of the setting parameters for each variety of item W. When the actual sorting delay time Tra calculated by the delay time setting unit 53 is output, it updates the pre-set sorting delay time Trs to the value of the actual sorting delay time Tra.

[0053] Next, I will explain the mechanism of action.

[0054] In the article inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, when the articles W to be inspected are sequentially transported from the conveyor unit 11 on the upstream side to the inspection section 20 side at a predetermined transport pitch and transport speed V, when each article W is detected by the first article detection sensor 15 for transport detection at the entrance side of the inspection section Zw, a detection signal is output from the first article detection sensor 15.

[0055] Furthermore, the weight calculation means 45 of the inspection control unit 41 sequentially calculates the weight of each item, and a judgment signal corresponding to the judgment result of the judgment means 46 is sequentially stored in the judgment result memory 47 based on the output of the measurement time management timer 48, which notifies that a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed from the time t0 of bringing in each item W, and the signal information included in the judgment signal.

[0056] Furthermore, the judgment result for each item stored in the judgment result memory 47 is read out and output to the sorting command output unit 55 at time t3, when a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed from the time t0 when each item W is brought in, and a sorting delay time Trs has also elapsed, according to the output of the delay time management timer 51.

[0057] Then, in accordance with the sorting command output unit 55, the sorting drive unit 32 of the sorting unit 30 is activated and either the flipper arm 33A or 33B is driven to a predetermined sorting discharge position shown by dashed lines in Figure 3(a) or Figure 3(b), or both flipper arms 33A and 33B are returned to and / or held in the non-sorting discharge position shown by solid lines in the same figure, thereby sorting each item W in the sorting direction according to its inspection result.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, prior to such normal inspection and sorting operations, a predetermined setting request Rqm is made in the display operation unit 43 to request a specific operation mode, and the main parameters are set under the specific operation mode, such as during variety registration. At that time, the inspection control unit 41 automatically sets a predetermined inspection time Tp based on the main parameters of the inspection unit 20, and the sorting delay time Trs is automatically set by the delay time setting unit 53 of the sorting control unit 42.

[0059] Next, the display operation unit 43 requests the operator to put a sample of the registered item W into the item inspection device 1. Once the sample of item W is put in, the leading edge Ew of the item W is detected by the first item detection sensor 15, and then a weight inspection is performed in the inspection unit 20 within a predetermined inspection time Tp. The inspected item W is then transported onto the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30 and detected by the second item detection sensor 17. At this point, a delay time setting process is executed to correct the automatically set sorting delay time Trs to the actual sorting delay time Tra.

[0060] Then, the sorting delay time Trs, which has been updated to a value corrected and calculated as the actual sorting delay time Tra that takes the effects of transport into account, is used thereafter as the preset sorting delay time Trs by the inspection control unit 41 and sorting control unit 42 in the control unit 40, and the weight inspection and sorting process of the items W is performed.

[0061] Specifically, the inspection unit 20 works in cooperation with the inspection control unit 41 to measure the weight of the registered item W within a predetermined inspection section Zw of the transport unit 10 using the weighing unit 22 and calculate the weight value using the weight calculation means 45. The determination means 46 compares the weight with a preset allowable weight range for the item W to determine whether the weight of the item W is within the allowable range (pass), exceeds the allowable range (over), or falls below the allowable range (under), and stores the determination result as OK, NG1, or NG2 in the determination result memory 47.

[0062] Then, in response to the output of the delay time management timer 51 which indicates the elapsed time t3 of the sorting delay time Trs, the judgment result of the inspected item W is read from the judgment result memory 47 to the sorting command output unit 55 and output. The sorting command output unit 55 then outputs either an over or under judgment (judgment signals NG1 and NG2 in Figures 2 and 4) of the judgment means 46, which is an output of an discharge command RJ1 or RJ2 to remove the item from the transport path, or an OFF command, which is a return or hold command to allow the item to pass without being discharged from the transport path, based on a pass judgment (judgment signal OK in Figures 2 and 4).

[0063] Furthermore, the sorting drive unit 32 of the sorting unit 30 performs a sorting operation in the sorting direction corresponding to the inspection result of the item W determined by the determination means 46, in accordance with the sorting command output unit 55.

[0064] Thus, in the article inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the total delay time from the start of article inspection t0 to the start of sorting operation t3 is accurately managed by a predetermined inspection time Tp and a preset sorting delay time Trs.

[0065] Furthermore, in response to a predetermined setting request Rqm, the correction time calculation means 53b of the delay time setting unit 53 calculates a correction delay time Ta from the time t3 of the delay time management timer 51, when the sorting delay time Trs has elapsed, until a sorting command signal (RJ1, RJ2, or OFF) is input to the sorting drive unit 32 of the sorting unit 30, based on the time (t2-t1) from the time t1 of the predetermined inspection time Tp until the leading edge Ew of the inspected item W is detected by the second item detection sensor 17, the time t2 of the time t2 until the item W reaches the suitable sorting start transport position Prj, and a preset sorting delay time Trs. By adding this correction delay time Ta to the preset sorting delay time Trs, the sorting delay time Trs to be set in the delay time management timer 51 is corrected to an actual sorting delay time Tra that takes into account the transport influence from the time t1 of the inspection time Tp has elapsed until a sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit 30.

[0066] Therefore, even inexperienced users can easily set a stable sorting timing by passing a suitable number of samples of item W through the inspection unit 20 while generating a predetermined setting request Rqm during the setting process for each type of item W.

[0067] Furthermore, the parameters that are changed to set the timing of the sorting operation in the sorting unit 30 are kept to a minimum, except for the sorting delay time Trs. This prevents a decrease in transport speed and prevents variations in transport speed between the inspection unit 20 and the sorting unit 30, effectively avoiding a decrease in production efficiency. Even inexperienced users can easily and accurately determine the appropriateness of the settings using defective samples, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, this embodiment further includes a display operation unit 43 that generates a predetermined setting request Rqm, and a variety registration memory 49 that stores at least a predetermined inspection time Tp and a preset sorting delay time Trs as setting parameters for each variety of item W. Therefore, the timing of the sorting operation can be easily set while generating a predetermined setting request Rqm with the display operation unit 43, and this setting information can be accurately stored in the variety registration memory 49 as part of the setting information for each variety.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 20 cooperates with the inspection control unit 41 of the control unit 40 to weigh the weight of the item W being transported within a predetermined inspection section Zw of the transport unit 10 using the weighing unit 22, the weight value is calculated by the weight calculation means 45, and the calculated and measured weight is compared with a preset allowable weight range by the determination means 46 to determine the quality status of the item's weight.

[0070] Then, when a sorting command indicating the sorting direction corresponding to the determination result is output by the sorting command output unit 55 of the sorting control unit 42, the sorting drive unit 32 of the sorting unit 30 operates in accordance with that sorting command, and a sorting operation is performed according to the sorting direction of the item W determined by the determination means 46.

[0071] Therefore, even if the weighing, weight calculation, and judgment processing cycles in the inspection unit 20 and inspection control unit 41 are short, and the transport unit 10 operates at a relatively high transport speed, a predetermined inspection time Tp and sorting delay time Trs can be accurately preset based on the device conditions, with respect to the time t0 when the first item detection sensor 15 detects the item W. Furthermore, by passing an appropriate number of item W samples through the inspection unit 20 while generating a predetermined setting request Rqm, the timing of the sorting operation can be accurately corrected to set a stable sorting operation timing.

[0072] As a result, in this embodiment, even inexperienced users can easily set stable sorting timings for each variety, and by suppressing correction parameters, the appropriateness of the settings can be easily and accurately determined in the form of improved sorting reliability.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the tip Ew of the article W was designated as a predetermined point of interest. However, by designating the rear end of the article W as a different point of interest, the output time of the sorting command signal (discharge command RJ1 or RJ2 in Figures 2 and 4, or return command OFF) from the sorting command output unit 55 to the sorting drive unit 32 can be increased or decreased according to the magnitude of the workpiece length Lw, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, taking into account the workpiece transport time Tw, which is obtained by dividing the transport length Lw of the article W by the transport speed W.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sorting unit 30 is a flipper sorting system using flipper arms 33A and 33B. However, the sorting unit 30 may also be a pusher system that pushes the articles W that have reached the aforementioned sorting start transport position Prj in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, an air sorting system that pushes or blows away the articles W that have reached the sorting start transport position Prj in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction using wind pressure load from compressed air, or any other sorting system that allows for the discharge of NG products outside the transport path. In such cases, the main setting parameters may also change.

[0075] Furthermore, the inspection method of the inspection unit 20 is not limited to weighing or measuring by the weighing unit 22, but may also be any other type of inspection device, such as foreign object detection, missing item inspection, packaging defect inspection, or visual inspection. However, the present invention can be effectively applied when the inspection process in the inspection unit 20 can be performed in a relatively short cycle and at a relatively high transport speed.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sorting unit 30 was capable of discharging defective products on both sides of the conveyor unit 13. However, multiple sorting units discharging in the same direction may be arranged in the direction of product transport, or multiple sorting units of other sorting methods may be installed in the transport direction to perform sorting operations corresponding to multiple judgment results.

[0077] As described above, the article inspection device of the present invention can perform sorting operations with stable timing even when the article transport speed is increased, and it can provide an article inspection device that allows even inexperienced users to easily set stable sorting timing during setup work such as variety registration. The present invention is useful for article inspection devices in general that have an inspection unit that performs article inspection and a sorting unit that performs sorting operations according to the inspection results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Item inspection device 10 Conveying section 11, 12, 13, 14 Conveyor Unit (Transportation Path) 15. Item detection sensors (first item detection sensor, item detection sensor for receiving items, item detection sensor for measurement) 17. Item detection sensor (second item detection sensor, item detection sensor for sorting) 20. Inspection Department (Item Inspection Department, Weight Measurement Department) 21 Weighing platform 22 Weighing section 30 Sorting Section 31 Support Slots 32 Sorting drive unit 33A, 33B Flipper arms (distribution members) 40 Control Unit 41 Inspection Control Unit 42 Sorting Control Unit 43 Display operation section 44 Sampling Circuit 44a switch 45 Weight calculation means 46 Judgment means 47 Judgment Result Memory 48 Measurement time management timer 49 Variety Registration Memory 51 Delay Time Management Timer 53 Delay time setting unit (delay time correction means) 53a Timekeeping means 53b Correction time calculation means 53c Correction Memory 55 Sorting command output unit d1 Item detection signal (first item detection signal) d2 Item detection signal (second item detection signal) Ew Specific points of interest Lp (Transport distance: distance traveled by the item during the measurement period) Lr (Transport distance: distance traveled during sorting delay time) Lw / 2 Transport distance (transport delay time from the second detection point to the point where the transport position at the start of sorting is reached) NG1 Judgment Result (Over-judgment) NG2 Judgment Result (Under Judgment) Prj Sorting start transport position (item transport position suitable for starting the sorting operation) RJ1 Sorting command signal (Sorting command and discharge command corresponding to over-detection) RJ2 sorting command signal (sorting command and discharge command corresponding to under-determined condition) Rqm specified configuration request t0 Detection point (start of delivery, first detection point, detection point of delivered items) t1 (Time point when the inspection time has elapsed, start time of the sorting delay) Time t2 (second detection time, item detection time, item detection time just before the leading edge of the item reaches the transport position at the start of the sorting operation) t3 point (timeout, elapsed sorting delay time, start of sorting operation) t3' (the point at which the actual sorting delay time has elapsed from the point at which the predetermined inspection time has elapsed, and the point at which the total delay time has elapsed from the first detection point until the predetermined inspection time, pre-sorting transport time, and transport delay time have elapsed) Ta Correction Delay Time Tp: Designated inspection time (measurement time, time from weight measurement to writing the judgment result to memory) Trs sorting delay time (pre-set sorting delay time) Tra Actual sorting delay time (sorting delay time corrected for transport effects, sorting delay time considering transport effects from the point in time when a predetermined inspection time has elapsed) ts stable waiting time Tw time (transport time equal to the length of the item in the transport direction) Tw / 2 delay time (transport delay time) V Conveying speed Zw Inspection Area Zrj Selection Section

Claims

1. An article inspection device comprising: a transport unit (10) that transports articles (W) along a predetermined transport path (12, 13); an inspection unit (20) that inspects the articles being transported within a predetermined inspection section (Zw) in the transport path for a predetermined quality state; a sorting unit (30) that responds to a sorting command signal input and sorts the inspected articles inspected by the inspection unit according to the inspection results; and a control unit (40) that controls the inspection unit and the sorting unit, It has a first item detection sensor (15) located on the entrance side of the predetermined inspection section, and a second item detection sensor (17) located on the entrance side of the sorting section (Zrj) downstream from the predetermined inspection section. The control unit, An inspection time management timer (48) manages the inspection time (Tp) from the time (t0) when a specific point of interest (Ew) of the article is detected by the first article detection sensor until the output of the inspection result of the inspected article whose predetermined quality state has been checked by the inspection unit, A delay time management timer (51) manages a preset sorting delay time (Trs) which is the time from the time the inspection time has elapsed (t1) until the inspected items reach the sorting start transport position (Prj) suitable for starting the sorting operation of the sorting unit, An article inspection apparatus characterized by having delay time correction means (53) that, in response to a predetermined setting request (Rqm), calculates the pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1) from the time the inspection time has elapsed (t1) to the second detection time (t2) when the second article detection sensor detects the specific point of interest of the inspected article, and the transport delay time (Tw / 2) from the second detection time until the inspected article reaches the transport position at the start of sorting, and calculates a corrected delay time (Ta) from the time the delay time management timer time-up time (t3) until the sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit based on the pre-sorting transport time (t2-t1), the transport delay time (Tw / 2), and the sorting delay time (Trs), and corrects the sorting delay time to the actual sorting delay time (Tra) from the time the inspection time has elapsed to the sorting unit until the sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit by adding the corrected delay time to the preset sorting delay time (Trs+Ta).

2. A display operation unit (43) that outputs the predetermined setting request based on the operator's actions, The article inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a variety registration memory (49) that stores at least the inspection time (Tp) and the sorting delay time (Trs) as setting parameters for each variety of article.

3. The inspection unit includes a weight calculation means (45) for measuring the weight of the article being transported within a predetermined inspection section (Zw) in the transport path, and a determination means (46) for determining the sorting direction of the article by comparing the measured weight with a preset allowable weight range. The weight-sorting method article inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sorting unit performs a sorting operation according to the sorting direction of the article determined by the determination means.

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