Multi-angle lighting device for inspection

Abstract

A multi-angle inspection lighting device according to embodiments of the present invention is configured to include a light source unit configured to include a plurality of linear lights for supplying light to a test object so that the inspection device can clearly identify and image the test object, an upper frame provided on the upper side of the light source unit and having an image opening formed in the center, and a plurality of joint structures for fixing and supporting the upper frame and the light source unit or fixing and supporting each other of the linear lights, and is characterized in that the irradiation angle of the linear lights is changed according to the structure in which the joint structures are coupled to the linear lights.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection lighting device, and more specifically, to an inspection multi-angle lighting device capable of adjusting the light irradiation angle so as to illuminate the surface of an object under inspection from various angles without replacing the device. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, machine vision technology endows machines with human-like visual and judgment capabilities, and is a technology in which hardware and software systems process the functions of human perception and judgment.

[0004] By utilizing such machine vision technology, various inspections can be automated using cameras, image boards, optical devices, and image processing software. These inspections include, for example, product surface finish inspection, physical defect tracking, counting objects on a conveyor, textile product inspection, color inspection, PCB (printed circuit board) inspection, photomasks, semiconductor manufacturing, defect presence / absence verification, robot guidance, size and shape verification, missing parts inspection, proper mounting and placement, verification of the completeness of parts fine enough to be seen with a microscope, and serial number reading.

[0005] As various industrial sectors transition to automation, recent machine vision technology is being widely utilized across production processes in almost every industry—including not only the semiconductor industry but also aluminum, automotive, mobile phones, logistics, pharmaceuticals / medical, food and beverage, consumer goods, wood, textiles, glass, iron, casting, and chemicals—to suit user purposes, encompassing not only simple measurements but also image processing and judgment processors. Accordingly, surface inspection illumination devices, designed to irradiate light onto the surface of an object under inspection, perform surface inspection after determining the optimal irradiation angle through extensive testing to ensure the surface condition of the object is clearly detected.

[0006] Meanwhile, conventional lighting devices have the inconvenience of requiring the device to be replaced with a surface inspection lighting fixture suitable for a specific shape when surface inspection of an object with a different shape is required, and there is also the problem of reduced work efficiency as process time increases.

[0007] In order to solve these problems, the prior art Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0016043 presents a surface inspection lighting device comprising a central body portion having a regular polygonal shape and a central hole for camera shooting, a light source member connected to the central body portion and having a plurality of light-emitting elements inside for illuminating the surface of a test object, and a coupling means that connects the central body portion and the light source member and simultaneously causes the light source member to rotate up and down so as to illuminate the surface of the test object from various angles. However, there has been a limitation in that it cannot implement a surface-type (or linear) lighting for dropping light in a vertical direction or a side-emitting lighting for illuminating light in a horizontal direction. Prior art literature

[0008] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0016043 (Feb. 17, 2011) U.S. Patent Publication No. 2023-0105145 (April 6, 2023) The problem to be solved

[0009] The present invention has been devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-angle inspection lighting device capable of adjusting the light irradiation angle so as to illuminate the surface of an object under inspection from various angles without replacing the device.

[0010] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0012] In order to solve these problems, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a multi-angle inspection lighting device is provided, comprising: a light source unit configured to include a plurality of linear lights for supplying light to a test object so that the inspection device can clearly identify and image the test object; an upper frame provided on the upper side of the light source unit, having an image opening formed in the central part; and a plurality of joint structures for fixing and supporting the upper frame and the light source unit, or fixing and supporting the linear lights among themselves, wherein the irradiation angle of the linear lights is changed according to the structure in which the joint structures are coupled to the linear lights.

[0013] The upper frame comprises a pair of base plates; and a pair of fixed bridges that define the imaging opening by fixing the pair of base plates to each other. The fixed bridges are configured to have an 'L' shape, with a horizontal body that is coupled to the pair of base plates and a vertical body to which the inspection device is coupled being integrally formed. A first sliding hole is formed in the horizontal body to adjust the distance between the pair of base plates, and the pair of base plates are fixed by a first clamp that is fastened to the base plates through the first sliding hole.

[0014] Each of the above joint structures is characterized by comprising: a bracket bar having a sliding hole formed along the longitudinal direction; and a pair of second clamps fastened to the linear lights through the sliding hole.

[0015] The above linear lights include first to fourth linear lights, and the joint structures include first to fourth joint structures, wherein the first linear light is fixedly coupled to the base plate by the first joint structure, the second linear light is fixedly coupled to the first linear light by the second joint structure, the third linear light is fixedly coupled to the second linear light by the third joint structure, and the fourth linear light is fixedly coupled to the third linear light by the fourth joint structure. Effects of the invention

[0017] According to embodiments of the present invention, a multi-angle inspection lighting device capable of adjusting the light irradiation angle is provided so that light can be illuminated on the surface of a test object from various angles without replacing the device.

[0018] The effects according to the technical concept of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the usage state of a multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the upper frame of a multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the side view of a multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 5 to 10 are drawings for explaining various uses of a multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to some embodiments of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) may be used in a meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0023] Additionally, the singular form in this specification may include the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise in the text. As used in this specification, "comprises" and / or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, actions, and / or elements to the mentioned components, steps, actions, and / or elements.

[0024] The term "machine vision" as described below in this specification refers to a system configured to obtain a desired result by processing images acquired using a camera, and may mean a technology in which a machine processes various tasks previously handled by humans by automating them through the granting of vision to the machine.

[0025] Generally, a machine vision system may consist of a PC equipped with a frame grabber, a camera, a lens, lighting, and a lighting controller. Under the control of the lighting controller, a predetermined amount of light is irradiated from the lighting onto the object to be inspected, and the light reflected by the object to be inspected can be acquired as an image through the lens of the camera. The acquired image is transmitted to a computer as an analog video signal, which can be digitized into bits defined per sample through the frame grabber mounted therein and converted into a signal that the PC can process.

[0026] Meanwhile, an inspection lighting device that illuminates light to inspect the appearance of a product using an imaging device such as a CCD camera can have various structures depending on its purpose and usage environment, and the main purpose of the inspection multi-angle lighting device of the present invention is to actively respond to various inspection environments as a single lighting device.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a drawing exemplarily showing the usage state of an inspection multi-angle lighting device according to some embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inspection multi-angle lighting device according to some embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the upper frame of an inspection multi-angle lighting device according to some embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a drawing schematically showing the side view of an inspection multi-angle lighting device according to some embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 5 to 10 are drawings for explaining various usage examples of an inspection multi-angle lighting device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, a multi-angle lighting device (1) for inspection according to embodiments of the present invention can be used together with a test object transport unit (2) for performing sequential inspection of a test object (3) and an inspection device (4) for capturing an image of a test object (3) illuminated by the multi-angle lighting device (1) to construct a machine vision inspection system.

[0029] Additionally, although not illustrated, such machine vision inspection systems may be additionally equipped with a lighting controller capable of performing various roles, such as turning individual lights on and off, adjusting the brightness intensity of the lights, changing lighting characteristics (e.g., color temperature, etc.), controlling image capture timing for organic operation with a vision camera, or intelligently operating various modes (e.g., constant lighting mode, strobing mode, or overdrive mode, etc.).

[0030] The inspection multi-angle lighting device (1) may be configured to include an upper frame (100), a light source unit (200), and a plurality of joint structures (300).

[0031] The light source unit (200) may be configured to include a plurality of linear lights to supply light to the object to be inspected so that the inspection device (4) can clearly identify and image the object to be inspected (3).

[0032] In the embodiment of the present invention, a case in which the light source unit (200) is configured with four sets of linear lights (201, 202, 203, 204; i.e., a total of eight linear lights) arranged in pairs symmetrically with each other has been described as a representative example, but it is not limited thereto and the light source unit (200) can be configured with two, three, or five sets of linear lights.

[0033] Meanwhile, individual linear lights may all be configured to have the same optical characteristics (e.g., all composed of white light), or they may be combined to have different optical characteristics (e.g., the first linear light is composed of a white LED, the second linear light is composed of a red LED, the third linear light is composed of a green LED, and the fourth linear light is composed of a blue LED).

[0034] The upper frame (100) may be configured to be provided on the upper side of the light source unit (200), with an imaging opening (100H) formed in the central region.

[0035] The upper frame (100) includes a pair of base plates (110) and a pair of fixed bridges (120) that fixably connect the pair of base plates (110) to each other to define an imaging opening (100H).

[0036] The fixed bridge (120) can be configured to have an 'L' shape by integrally forming a horizontal body that is combined with a pair of base plates (110) and a vertical body to which an inspection device is combined.

[0037] A first sliding hole (121) is formed in the horizontal body of the fixed bridge (120) to adjust the distance between a pair of base plates (110), and the pair of base plates (110) are fixed by a first clamp (130) that is fastened to the base plates through the first sliding hole, thereby allowing the distance between a pair of base plates (110) (i.e., the distance between lights) to be appropriately adjusted according to the inspection environment.

[0038] A connecting groove (123) may be formed in the vertical body of the fixed bridge (120), and depending on the inspection environment, the connecting groove (123) may be used for fixing the inspection device (4), or for fixing the lighting device (1) to the ceiling of the inspection space or to another device in the system.

[0039] By having the upper frame (100) have such a structure, it is possible to perform functions such as adjusting the overall size of the lighting device, adjusting the distance between lights, and attaching an inspection device to the upper part, while simultaneously ensuring sufficient rigidity of the lighting device to prevent light imbalance that may occur due to the lights being twisted relative to each other.

[0040] Multiple joint structures (300) can serve to fix and support the upper frame (100) and the light source (200), or to fix and support the linear lights (200) to one another. Additionally, the dimming characteristics of the linear lights (i.e., the illumination angle and / or the size of the dimming area, etc.) can be changed according to the structure in which the joint structures (300) are coupled to the linear lights (200) (i.e., the distance between adjacent lights with the joint structures in between or the fixed angle of each light).

[0041] Specifically, each of the joint structures (300) may be composed of a bracket bar (310) having a sliding hole formed along the longitudinal direction and a pair of second clamps (320) that are fastened to the linear lights through the sliding hole.

[0042] The second clamp (320) can fix the joint structure (300) by penetrating the bracket bar (310) and inserting and fixing it into the clamp hole (203) formed on the side of the linear light (200) or the clamp hole (113) formed on the side of the base plate (110).

[0043] In this way, multiple linear lights are connected so that their individual illumination angles and mutual spacing can be adjusted, and each linear light is configured to be individually controllable, so that the multi-angle lighting device (1) for inspection according to the present invention can illuminate the surface of a test object from various angles without replacing a separate lighting device in order to respond to various inspection environments.

[0044] In addition, the inspection multi-angle lighting device (1) can be operated in various ways, such as maximizing illumination uniformity to the test object by operating the first to fourth linear lights (201, 202, 203, 204) to have different illumination angles as shown in FIG. 5, or performing the function as a vertical drop light by operating only the first linear light (201) having a vertical illumination angle as shown in FIG. 6, or performing the function as a vertical drop light by operating only the fourth linear light (204) having a horizontal illumination angle as shown in FIG. 7, or performing the function as a surface light in which all of the first to fourth linear lights (201, 202, 203, 204) have a vertical illumination angle by changing the fastening position of the second clamp (320) as shown in FIG. 7, or maximizing storage and transportability by sliding a pair of base plates (110) so that they are in close contact with each other as shown in FIG. 9 and 10.

[0045] Those skilled in the art related to the embodiments will understand that the above-described embodiments may be implemented in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the description. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, not by the foregoing description, and all variations within the scope of equivalence should be interpreted as being included in the invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A multi-angle inspection lighting device comprises: a light source unit configured to include a plurality of linear lights for supplying light to a test object so that the inspection device can clearly identify and image the test object; an upper frame provided on the upper side of the light source unit, having an imaging opening formed in the central part; and a plurality of joint structures for fixing and supporting the upper frame and the light source unit, or for fixing and supporting the linear lights among themselves; wherein the illumination angle of the linear lights is changed according to a structure in which the joint structures are coupled to the linear lights, and the upper frame comprises a pair of base plates; A multi-angle inspection lighting device comprising: a pair of fixed bridges that define an imaging aperture by fixing the pair of base plates together; wherein the fixed bridges are configured to have an 'L' shape by integrally forming a horizontal body coupled to the pair of base plates and a vertical body to which the inspection device is coupled, wherein the horizontal body has a first sliding hole formed to adjust the distance between the pair of base plates, and the pair of base plates are fixed by a first clamp fastened to the base plates through the first sliding hole. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A multi-angle inspection lighting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the joint structures comprises: a bracket bar having a sliding hole formed along the longitudinal direction; and a pair of second clamps fastened to the linear lights through the sliding hole. Claim 4 A multi-angle lighting device for inspection according to claim 3, wherein the linear lights include first to fourth linear lights, the joint structures include first to fourth joint structures, the first linear light is fixedly coupled to the base plate by the first joint structure, the second linear light is fixedly coupled to the first linear light by the second joint structure, the third linear light is fixedly coupled to the second linear light by the third joint structure, and the fourth linear light is fixedly coupled to the third linear light by the fourth joint structure.

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