Inspection and sorting device

Abstract

Provided is an inspection and sorting device that can easily subdivide sorting without significantly increasing costs.　The present invention comprises: a conveyance unit that continuously conveys a placed object in one direction; an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit that irradiates the object with electromagnetic waves; an electromagnetic wave detection unit that detects electromagnetic waves that have passed through the object; an inspection unit that inspects the object on the basis of detection data of the electromagnetic waves detected by the electromagnetic wave detection unit; a first sorting unit that subjects an object discharged from a conveyance end of the conveyance unit to a first sorting by applying or not applying wind pressure to the object at a prescribed passing position; a second sorting unit that is provided on either a trajectory that the object follows after the wind pressure is applied at the prescribed passing position or a trajectory that the object follows after the wind pressure is not applied, and that subjects the object to a second sorting using an external force other than the wind pressure on the object; and a sorting control unit that controls, on the basis of the inspection result by the inspection unit, the presence or absence of the application of the wind pressure to the object by the first sorting unit and the presence or absence or the direction of application of the external force to the object by the second sorting unit.

Description

Inspection and sorting equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection and sorting device that inspects an object based on electromagnetic waves that are irradiated onto the object and detected after passing through the object, and sorts the object based on the inspection results.

[0002] When an inspection object is irradiated with light or X-rays and the amount of transmission or reflection is detected, a distribution of the intensity of the transmission or reflection due to the internal and external conditions of the inspection object is obtained. A two-dimensional image is generated in which this intensity distribution is expressed by the color tone (tone of the color, such as brightness, shading, and intensity) of each pixel, thereby visualizing the internal and external conditions of the inspection object. Known inspection and sorting devices determine whether the inspection object is good or bad based on the visualized image, and then sort the inspection object by applying or not applying air pressure to the inspection object based on the judgment result (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] JP 2017-164722 A Patent No. 7412028 A

[0004] Conventional devices simply separate non-defective products from defective products, but from the perspective of improving product yield, it is desirable to be able to further separate defective products into minor defective products that can be repaired and reused and major defective products that cannot be repaired. Taking food as an example, minor defective products are those that are defective only in shape or the like and can be reused as food ingredients, while major defective products are those that cannot be reused due to defects such as the presence of foreign matter. In this case, it is possible to further subdivide the sorting process by, for example, providing multiple or multiple stages of nozzles or mechanisms that apply air pressure, or by providing yet another sorting machine in a subsequent stage.

[0005] However, when multiple nozzles or mechanisms for applying air pressure are installed, or when multiple stages are installed, the required amount of air increases, requiring a high-capacity supply source, which raises concerns about rising running costs, and when multiple stages are used, it becomes very difficult to synchronize the timing of sorting from the second stage onwards due to the influence of the sorting in the first stage, etc. Furthermore, when a separate sorting machine is installed in the subsequent stage, problems arise such as the increase in size of the equipment and rising costs.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide an inspection and sorting device that can easily subdivide sorting without significantly increasing costs.

[0007] The inspection and sorting device of the present invention comprises a conveying unit that continuously conveys placed objects to be inspected in a predetermined direction, an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit that irradiates electromagnetic waves onto the objects to be inspected, an electromagnetic wave detection unit that detects the electromagnetic waves that have passed through the objects to be inspected, an inspection unit that inspects the objects to be inspected based on detection data of the electromagnetic waves detected by the electromagnetic wave detection unit, a first sorting unit that is provided for each of a plurality of loading areas of the conveying unit that are equally spaced in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and that performs a first sorting based on whether or not wind pressure is applied to the objects to be inspected released from the conveying end of the conveying unit at a predetermined passing position, a second sorting unit that is provided on at least one of the trajectories that the objects to be inspected follow after wind pressure is applied at the predetermined passing position or the trajectory that the objects to be inspected follow after wind pressure is not applied, and that performs a second sorting on the objects to be inspected using an external force other than wind pressure, and a sorting control unit that controls whether or not wind pressure is applied to the objects to be inspected from each gas blowing unit, and whether or not, or the direction, of the external force that the second sorting unit applies to the objects to be inspected, based on the inspection results by the inspection unit.

[0008] The external force applied to the inspection object may be a repulsive force generated when the inspection object collides with the second sorting section.

[0009] When an external force is applied as a repulsive force, the sorting control unit may control the operation of the second sorting unit based on the inspection results from the inspection unit, thereby controlling whether or not the object to be inspected collides with the second sorting unit, thereby causing a difference in the fate of the object to be inspected, thereby performing sorting.

[0010] The external force applied to the inspection object may be a frictional force generated between the inspection object and the second sorting section.

[0011] When an external force is applied as a frictional force, the second sorting unit is a conveying means that is positioned at the position where the object to be inspected lands and can reverse the conveying direction, and the sorting control unit controls the conveying direction based on the inspection results from the inspection unit, thereby causing a difference in the direction of the object to be inspected, thereby performing sorting.

[0012] The inspection unit determines whether the object to be inspected is a good product or a defective product, and whether the defective product is a minor defective product or a major defective product, and the sorting control unit controls the gas ejection unit so that, in the first sorting, good products are sorted to the first side and defective products are sorted to the second side, and in the second sorting, the defective products sorted to the second side are sorted to the third side or the fourth side, and at that time, the second sorting unit may be controlled so that major defective products are sorted to only one side.

[0013] The electromagnetic waves irradiated onto the inspection object may be X-rays.

[0014] The first sorting section may include a gas supply section that supplies gas, a gas distribution section that distributes the supplied gas to a plurality of outlets, and a plurality of communication sections that are flow paths made of a flexible material that provide one-to-one communication between the outlets and the gas ejection section and guide the gas ejected from the outlets to the gas ejection section.

[0015] According to the inspection and sorting device of the present invention, sorting can be easily subdivided without significantly increasing costs.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection and sorting device 100 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is another diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection and sorting device 100 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection and sorting device 200 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram specifically showing the part related to the first sorting in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining sorting control in the second sorting section 160. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inspection and sorting device 300 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram specifically showing the part related to the first sorting in FIG. 5.

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of components that have already been described will be omitted as appropriate.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection and sorting device 100 according to the present invention.

[0019] The inspection and sorting device 100 includes a transport unit 110 , an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120 , an electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 , an inspection unit 140 , a first sorting unit 150 , a second sorting unit 160 , and a sorting control unit 170 .

[0020] The conveying unit 110 is a conveyor of any type that continuously conveys the placed inspection object W in one predetermined direction (the positive Y-axis direction in FIG. 1 ) at a predetermined speed. The inspection object W is any object, such as food or food packaging. The inspection object W placed on the conveying unit 110 is carried into the housing (not shown) of the inspection and sorting device 100 through an inlet (on the left side of the inspection and sorting device 100 in FIG. 1 ), undergoes electromagnetic wave inspection, and is then carried out through an outlet (on the right side of the inspection and sorting device 100 in FIG. 1 ).

[0021] 1 , the conveying unit 110 moves the placed inspection object W in the positive Y-axis direction by moving a placement surface, which is an XY plane, in the positive Y-axis direction. The placement surface may be a real surface, such as a belt conveyor, which moves across the surface and moves the placed inspection object W along with it, or it may be a virtual surface, such as a drive roller conveyor, which applies power to the placed inspection object W to move it across the surface. The conveying speed depends on the detection cycle of the detection elements, etc., but is generally in the range of several meters / min to several hundred meters / min in the case of inspecting objects for foreign matter.

[0022] The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120 irradiates a predetermined electromagnetic wave toward the inspection target W transported by the transport unit 110. The type of electromagnetic wave to be irradiated may be appropriately selected depending on the content of the inspection, such as X-rays, visible light, or infrared light.

[0023] The electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 is disposed at a position where it can detect the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120 and transmitted through the inspection object W. The electromagnetic waves transmitted through the inspection object W are electromagnetic waves transmitted through or reflected by the inspection object W. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 is disposed opposite the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120 so as to be able to detect the electromagnetic waves transmitted through the inspection object W. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 , the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 may be disposed inside the conveying unit 110 and configured to detect the electromagnetic waves after transmitting through a conveyor belt or the like, or the conveying unit 110 may be divided into two parts and the electromagnetic waves may be detected through the gap between the two parts. When the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 is disposed inside the conveying unit 110, it is preferable to use a conveyor belt or the like made of a material that is highly transparent to the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120.

[0024] The electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 is a line sensor in which a plurality of detection elements are arranged in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the conveying unit 110 to detect the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120, and detects at least the electromagnetic waves that arrive via the inspection object W conveyed by the conveying unit 110, and outputs detection data at predetermined intervals. The number of arranged detection elements is, for example, a number corresponding to the width direction length of the inspection object W placed on the conveying unit 110. Furthermore, the interval in which each detection element detects the electromagnetic waves and accumulates and outputs the detection data may be, for example, the time required for the width of the detection element in the conveying direction to pass at the conveying speed of the inspection object W by the conveying unit 110. By setting the number of arranged elements and the detection interval in this manner, it is possible to inspect all of the inspection objects W that pass by the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 one after another without omission.

[0025] The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit 120 and the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 are fixedly disposed with the transport unit 110 sandwiched therebetween. Therefore, as the inspection object W moves in the positive direction of the Y axis, the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 moves relative to the inspection object W in the negative direction of the Y axis, and the inspection object W is scanned by the strip-shaped detection area. During this scanning, each detection element of the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 repeatedly detects electromagnetic waves at a detection cycle corresponding to the transport speed of the inspection object W, thereby obtaining a detection data group in which the detection data is two-dimensionally arranged by, for example, the number of detection elements multiplied by the number of detection cycles. The number of cycles for obtaining the detection data group may be determined arbitrarily depending on the size of the inspection object W, the size of the image to be generated, and the like.

[0026] Based on the group of detection data output by the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130, the inspection unit 140 determines whether the inspection object W is a good or defective product, and whether the defective product is a minor or major defective product, for example, by generating image information of the inspection object W in which the value of the detection data is expressed for each pixel, with the position of each detection data in the two-dimensional array being the position of the pixel, and comparing the value of each pixel with a threshold value.

[0027] The first sorting unit 150 includes a gas supply unit 151 , a gas ejection control unit 152 , and a gas ejection unit 153 .

[0028] The gas supply unit 151 is a gas supply source that supplies the gas to be blown out from the gas blowout unit 153. Any gas may be used as long as it does not cause any problems to the inspection object W or the installation environment.

[0029] The jetting control unit 152 is a valve that controls the jetting of gas from the gas jetting unit 153. The operation of the valve is controlled by the sorting control unit 170, which will be described later.

[0030] The gas ejection unit 153 is a nozzle that ejects gas. The gas ejection unit 153 is provided downstream of the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 in the transport direction. The gas ejection unit 153 is provided so that gas is ejected at a predetermined position through which the inspection target W, which has been transported at a predetermined speed by the transport unit 110, passes while being released from the end of the transport and falling.

[0031] By ejecting gas from the gas ejection unit 153 at an appropriate timing and applying wind pressure to the inspection object W that has reached a predetermined passing position, the traveling direction of the inspection object W changes. Therefore, the sorting control unit 170 controls the ejection control unit 152 to determine whether or not to eject gas from the gas ejection unit 153 onto the inspection object W, thereby performing a first sorting in which the traveling direction of the inspection object W is shifted to two different directions, a first side and a second side. For example, based on the inspection results from the inspection unit 140, non-defective products can be sorted to the first side, and defective products (slightly defective products and severely defective products) can be sorted to a second side different from the first side. The object whose traveling direction is changed by ejecting gas may be a defective product or a non-defective product. In other words, if the object whose traveling direction is to be changed is a defective product, control is performed so that gas is not ejected when a non-defective product passes, and if the object is a non-defective product, control is performed so that gas is not ejected when a defective product passes. In FIG. 1, the direction of travel is changed for a defective product, and a non-defective product is dropped without changing its direction of travel, with an OK box placed at the landing position.

[0032] The second sorting unit 160 is provided at least on one of the trajectories that the inspection objects W follow after wind pressure is applied or after wind pressure is not applied at a predetermined passing position, and performs a second sorting of the inspection objects W using an external force other than wind pressure. For example, the second sorting unit 160 is provided on the trajectory that the defective products follow after sorting in the first sorting unit 150, and sorts out minor defective products and major defective products based on control by the sorting control unit 170. Specifically, if wind pressure is applied to the defective products during the first sorting in the first sorting unit 150, the second sorting unit 160 is provided on the trajectory that the inspection objects W follow after wind pressure is applied, and if wind pressure is not applied to the defective products, the second sorting unit 160 is provided on the trajectory that the inspection objects W follow after wind pressure is not applied.

[0033] Examples of external forces other than wind pressure that are used for sorting in the second sorting section 160 include repulsive force and frictional force.

[0034] The repulsive force can be applied, for example, by configuring the second sorting unit 160 with a movable plate-like member as shown in FIG. 1 , and by using the member to block the trajectory and collide with the inspection target W. The sorting control unit 170 controls whether or not the trajectory is blocked by the member, thereby performing a second sorting in which the inspection target W is directed in two different directions: toward a third side and a fourth side different from the third side. For example, when sorting defective products into minor defective products and major defective products in the second sorting, the minor defective products can be sorted to the third side and the major defective products to the fourth side. FIG. 1 shows an example in which minor defective products are dropped without colliding with a member, and an R box is placed at the landing position, and major defective products are dropped by colliding with a member, and an NG box is placed at the landing position.

[0035] For example, the friction force can be applied by constructing the second sorting unit 160 with a conveying means as shown in FIG. 2 , and transporting the inspection objects W that land on the conveying means, which is positioned so as to interrupt the track. The conveying means can be configured to reverse its conveying direction, and the sorting control unit 170 controls the conveying direction. This allows for second sorting, in which the inspection objects W are directed in two different directions, toward the third side and the fourth side. For example, minor defective products can be sorted to the third side, and major defective products can be sorted to the fourth side. FIG. 2 shows an example in which minor defective products are dropped from one conveying end and an R box is placed where they land, and major defective products are dropped from the other conveying end and an NG box is placed where they land.

[0036] Based on the inspection results by the inspection unit 140, the sorting control unit 170 controls whether or not the first sorting unit 150 applies wind pressure to the inspection object W, and whether or not or the direction of the application of external force to the inspection object W by the second sorting unit 160.

[0037] The sorting control unit 170 may control the second sorting unit 160 so that major defective products are sorted to only one side when sorting the defective products to the third side and the fourth side in the second sorting unit 160. More specifically, on the premise that the control is such that major defective products are sorted to only one side, the sorting control unit 170 may control the second sorting unit 160 so that minor defective products are sorted to the other side as much as possible.

[0038] For example, if the time interval between the arrival of a minor defective product at the second sorting unit 160 and the arrival of a major defective product is shorter than the time required for switching the sorting side in the second sorting unit 160, if the second sorting unit 160 is set to sort the minor defective product to the third side in order to sort the minor defective product to the third side, it may not be possible to switch to the fourth side, which sorts major defective products, in time for the arrival of the subsequent major defective product, and the major defective product may be sorted to the third side and mixed in with the minor defective products. If a major defective product gets mixed in with the minor defective products, there is a concern that the major defective product may be mistakenly reused.

[0039] Therefore, in the present invention, if the second sorting unit 160 is in a state in which it will sort to the fourth side before the arrival of a minor defective product, in order to avoid a situation in which switching the state to sort the minor defective product to the third side would cause the switchback to be too late, control is performed so that the state is not switched even if the minor defective product would be sorted to the fourth side, and major defective products are reliably sorted only to the fourth side. Also, if the second sorting unit 160 is in a state in which it will not sort to the fourth side before the arrival of a minor defective product, by setting the second sorting unit 160 to a state in which it will sort to the third side when the minor defective product arrives, in order to avoid a situation in which switching to the state in which it will sort to the fourth side would be too late by the time the major defective product arrives, control is performed to start the switching operation at a timing in which the switch to the fourth side will be in time even if the minor defective product would be sorted to the fourth side, and major defective products are reliably sorted only to the fourth side.

[0040] This allows minor defective products to be mixed with major defective products, but prevents major defective products from being mixed with minor defective products. Even if minor defective products are mixed with major defective products, only the minor defective products are prevented from being reused. Therefore, by controlling in this way, it is possible to prevent major defective products from being reused, while selecting and reusing minor defective products to the extent possible.

[0041] Note that if the second sorting unit 160 is configured with a movable member, as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible that, for some reason, the timely switching operation is not performed, resulting in the erroneous sorting of severely defective products. Therefore, the sorting control unit 170 may, for example, control the second sorting unit 160 so that, while inspection is stopped, it is in a state where severely defective products are sorted to one side (e.g., the fourth side). Alternatively, during inspection, the default state may be set to a state where severely defective products are sorted to the one side (e.g., the third side) from which the severely defective products are sorted, and the second sorting unit 160 may be switched to a state where lightly defective products are sorted to the other side (e.g., the third side) only when sorting lightly defective products to the other side (e.g., the third side) without interfering with the sorting of severely defective products. Once sorting is complete, the second sorting unit 160 may be controlled to switch back to a state where lightly defective products are sorted to the other side, even if no severely defective products arrive immediately afterward. This further reduces the risk of erroneous sorting of severely defective products.

[0042] According to the inspection and sorting device 100 of the present invention described above, sorting can be easily subdivided without significantly increasing costs.

[0043] The inspection and sorting device 100 of the present invention can also be applied to a configuration that performs multi-row sorting. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection and sorting device 200 that performs multi-row sorting, and Figure 4 is a diagram specifically showing the parts related to the first sorting in Figure 3. Explanation of parts that overlap with the inspection and sorting device 100 will be omitted.

[0044] Each test object W is usually placed on one of a plurality of placement areas obtained by dividing the placement surface of the transport unit 110 into equal widths in the width direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the transport direction (Y-axis direction), or placed across two or more consecutive placement areas and transported. The number of placement areas may be set appropriately depending on the size of the test object W, the arrangement of the detection elements in the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130, the arrangement of the gas ejection unit, etc.

[0045] In the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130, detection of electromagnetic waves corresponding to each placement area of ​​the transport unit 110 is carried out by each detection element group, the number of detection elements being calculated by dividing the number of detection elements arranged in the width direction of the transport unit 110 by the number of placement areas in the transport unit 110. Figure 4 shows an example where there are eight placement areas, and in this case, each of the eight detection element groups L1 to L8 is responsible for detecting electromagnetic waves that have passed through the inspection objects W transported in the eight placement areas. If the total number of detection elements in the width direction is, for example, 128, each of the eight detection element groups L1 to L8 is composed of 16 detection elements.

[0046] Based on the detection data group for each placement area output by the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130, the inspection unit 140 generates image information of the object to be inspected W in which the value of the detection data is expressed for each pixel, for example, by using the position of each detection data in the two-dimensional array as the position of the pixel, and determines whether the object to be inspected W placed in each placement area is a good or defective item, and whether the defective item is a minor or major defective item, by comparing the value of each pixel with a threshold value, etc.

[0047] The first sorting unit 150 further includes a gas distribution unit 180. The gas distribution unit 180 is a manifold that distributes the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 151 to a plurality of outlets. Specifically, the gas is distributed to the number of placement areas.

[0048] The jetting control units are valves that are provided on each path to the multiple outlets of the gas distribution unit 180 and control the jetting of gas from the outlets. The operation of each valve is controlled by the sorting control unit 170 based on the inspection results for each placement area by the inspection unit 140. Figure 4 shows an example in which the transport unit 110 has eight placement positions, and the jetting control units 152a to 152h that are provided on each path to the eight outlets 181a to 181h of the gas distribution unit 180 control whether or not to jet gas from the outlets 181a to 181h based on the control by the sorting control unit 170.

[0049] The gas ejection units are provided downstream of the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 in the transport direction, and are arranged in the width direction of the transport unit 110 in the same number as the number of distributions by the gas distribution unit 180, i.e., the number of placement areas. Fig. 4 shows an example of the arrangement of the gas ejection units when the transport unit 110 has eight placement areas, and gas ejection units 153a to 153h are provided downstream of the detection element groups L1 to L8 of the electromagnetic wave detection unit 130 in the transport direction. The gas ejection units 153a to 153h are connected to the discharge ports 181a to 181h of the gas distribution unit 180, respectively, and eject the gas ejected from the discharge ports 181a to 181h. In Figures 3 and 4, gas ejection sections 153a to 153h are shown at the discharge ports 181a to 181h of the gas distribution section 180 as well as at the conveying end of the conveying section 110, but both are the same thing and are shown redundantly for the convenience of drawing notation.

[0050] The gas ejection sections 153a to 153h are each provided so that gas is ejected from the end of the transport area of ​​the inspection object W that has been placed on and transported in each of the transport areas of the transport section 110, and at a predetermined position through which the inspection object W passes while falling.

[0051] The second sorting section 160 may be one that performs the second sorting for all the placement areas at once, or may be a plurality of second sorting sections that perform the second sorting for each of one or more placement areas.

[0052] The sorting control unit 170 controls the ejection control units 152a to 152h corresponding to each loading area based on the inspection results for each loading area by the inspection unit 140, so that the ejection control units 152a to 152h control whether or not wind pressure is applied to the inspection object W by ejecting gas from the corresponding gas ejection units 153a to 153h, and also controls whether or not or the direction of application of external force to the inspection object W by the second sorting unit 160.

[0053] The sorting control unit 170 may control the second sorting unit 160 so that major defective products are sorted to only one side when sorting the defective products to the third side and the fourth side in the second sorting unit 160. More specifically, on the premise that the control is such that major defective products are sorted to only one side, the sorting control unit 170 may control the second sorting unit 160 so that minor defective products are sorted to the other side as much as possible.

[0054] For example, if the time interval between the arrival of a minor defective product at the second sorting unit 160 and the arrival of a major defective product is shorter than the time required for switching the sorting side in the second sorting unit 160, if the second sorting unit 160 is set to sort the minor defective product to the third side in order to sort the minor defective product to the third side, it may not be possible to switch to the fourth side, which sorts major defective products, in time for the arrival of the subsequent major defective product, and the major defective product may be sorted to the third side and mixed in with the minor defective products. If a major defective product gets mixed in with the minor defective products, there is a concern that the major defective product may be mistakenly reused.

[0055] Therefore, in the present invention, if the second sorting unit 160 is in a state in which it will sort to the fourth side before the arrival of a minor defective product, in order to avoid a situation in which switching the state to sort the minor defective product to the third side would cause the switchback to be too late, control is performed so that the state is not switched even if the minor defective product would be sorted to the fourth side, and major defective products are reliably sorted only to the fourth side. Also, if the second sorting unit 160 is in a state in which it will not sort to the fourth side before the arrival of a minor defective product, by setting the second sorting unit 160 to a state in which it will sort to the third side when the minor defective product arrives, in order to avoid a situation in which switching to the state in which it will sort to the fourth side would be too late by the time the major defective product arrives, control is performed to start the switching operation at a timing in which the switch to the fourth side will be in time even if the minor defective product would be sorted to the fourth side, and major defective products are reliably sorted only to the fourth side.

[0056] Figures 5(a) and (b) are diagrams that explain the difference between when this control is performed and when it is not performed, in a case where a heavily defective product arrives at the second sorting section 160 within a short time interval following a lightly defective product, in a configuration in which the second sorting section 160 performs a second sorting on eight loading areas at once.

[0057] 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate the inspection results of inspection objects W placed in one of eight placement areas and transported at different times, as well as the sorting destination switching status when the inspection objects W transported at each time reach the second sorting unit 160. The numbers 1 to 4 and 1 to 5 displayed at the top of the table indicate the order in which the objects arrive at the second sorting unit 160. The numbers 1 to 8 displayed on the left of the table indicate the placement area numbers. The "light" and "heavy" listed in the table indicate the inspection results of the inspection objects W placed in each placement area at each arrival time, as determined by inspection in the inspection unit 140, with "light" indicating a minor defect and "heavy" indicating a major defect. The numbers displayed below the table corresponding to the arrival times indicate the sorting status when the inspection object W arrives at the second sorting unit 160 when the control is not performed (top row), and the sorting status when the control is performed (bottom row). The numerical values ​​are: 3 indicates that allocation is being made to the third side, 4 indicates that allocation is being made to the fourth side, and 3.5 indicates that the state is in the middle of switching. Note that in this example, it takes two timings to switch the allocation side.

[0058] 5A illustrates control when the second sorting unit 160 is in a state where it is sorting minor defective products to the fourth side before the arrival of minor defective products at the second sorting unit 160. In this example, the major defective products are in a state where they are sorted to the fourth side when the major defective products arrive at the first timing. Two timings later, the minor defective products arrive at the second sorting unit 160, and one timing later, the major defective products arrive at the second sorting unit 160. In this case, if the second sorting unit 160 were operated without this control so that the minor defective products at the third timing would be sorted to the third side, the fourth timing would be in the middle of switching back to the fourth side, and the major defective products would be mixed in with the minor defective products. Therefore, by controlling the second sorting unit 160 not to switch the minor defective products to the third side at the third timing, the minor defective products at the third timing would be sorted to the fourth side, but the major defective products can be reliably sorted only to the fourth side.

[0059] FIG. 5B illustrates control when the second sorting unit 160 is not yet in a state to sort minor defective products to the fourth side before the arrival of minor defective products at the second sorting unit 160. In this example, the second sorting unit 160 is in a state to sort minor defective products to the third side when the minor defective products arrive at the first timing. One timing later, the minor defective products arrive at the second sorting unit 160, and one timing later, the major defective products arrive at the second sorting unit 160. In this case, if the second sorting unit 160 is maintained in a state such that the minor defective products at the second timing are sorted to the third side without this control, the third timing may not be switched over, and the major defective products may be mixed in with the minor defective products. Therefore, by controlling the switching operation to the fourth side after the first timing so as to be in time for the sorting of the major defective products at the third timing, the minor defective products at the second timing may be sorted to the fourth side, but the major defective products can be reliably sorted only to the fourth side.

[0060] By the control described above, even if minor defective products are mixed with major defective products, it is possible to prevent major defective products from being mixed with minor defective products. Even if minor defective products are mixed with major defective products, only the minor defective products are prevented from being reused. Therefore, by controlling in this way, it is possible to prevent major defective products from being reused, while selecting and reusing minor defective products to the extent possible.

[0061] Note that if the second sorting unit 160 is configured with a movable member, as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible that, for some reason, the timely switching operation is not performed, resulting in the erroneous sorting of severely defective products. Therefore, the sorting control unit 170 may, for example, control the second sorting unit 160 so that, while inspection is stopped, it is in a state where severely defective products are sorted to one side (e.g., the fourth side). Alternatively, during inspection, the default state may be set to a state where severely defective products are sorted to the one side (e.g., the third side) from which the severely defective products are sorted, and the second sorting unit 160 may be switched to a state where lightly defective products are sorted to the other side (e.g., the third side) only when sorting lightly defective products to the other side (e.g., the third side) without interfering with the sorting of severely defective products. Once sorting is complete, the second sorting unit 160 may be controlled to switch back to a state where lightly defective products are sorted to the other side, even if no severely defective products arrive immediately afterward. This further reduces the risk of erroneous sorting of severely defective products.

[0062] A communication section may be provided that provides one-to-one communication between each outlet of the gas distribution section 180 and each gas ejection section, and guides and ejects the gas distributed by the gas distribution section 180 to each gas ejection section. Hoses or tubes made of polyvinyl chloride, silicone rubber, polyurethane resin, or the like, which allow gas to pass through and allow for flexible placement of the gas ejection sections, are suitable for the material of the communication section. Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of an inspection and sorting device 300 that performs multi-row sorting and is equipped with a communication section, and Figure 7 is a specific diagram illustrating the parts of Figure 6 that are relevant to the first sorting. Explanations of parts that overlap with the inspection and sorting device 100 and the inspection and sorting device 200 will be omitted. In the example of Figure 7, communication sections 190a to 190h connect each of the outlets 181a to 181h to each of the gas ejection sections 153a to 153h.

[0063] By providing such communication sections between the gas distribution section and each gas ejection section, it becomes possible to flexibly arrange each gas ejection section.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and anything that has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and exhibits similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, appropriate modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea expressed in the present invention, and forms incorporating such modifications and improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0065] For example, among the inspection and sorting devices, a single sorting device may be configured consisting of the first sorting unit 150 and the second sorting unit 160, and may be used in combination with other inspection devices.

[0066] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200, 300... Inspection and sorting device 110... Conveying section 120... Electromagnetic wave irradiation section 130... Electromagnetic wave detection section 140... Inspection section 150... First sorting section 151... Gas supply section 152, 152a to 152h... Jetting control section 153, 153a to 153h... Gas jetting section 160... Second sorting section 170... Sorting control section 180... Gas distribution section 181a to 181h... Discharge outlet 190a to 190h... Communication section

Claims

1. A conveying section that continuously conveys placed objects to be inspected in one predetermined direction; an electromagnetic wave irradiating section that irradiates electromagnetic waves onto the objects to be inspected; an electromagnetic wave detecting section that detects the electromagnetic waves that have passed through the objects to be inspected; an inspecting section that inspects the objects to be inspected based on detection data of the electromagnetic waves detected by the electromagnetic wave detecting section; a first sorting section that is provided for each of a plurality of loading areas of the conveying section that are separated at equal intervals in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and that performs a first sorting depending on whether or not wind pressure is applied to the objects to be inspected that have been released from the conveying end of the conveying section; and a second sorting section that is provided on at least one of the trajectory that the objects to be inspected follow after the wind pressure has been applied at the predetermined passing position or the trajectory that the objects to be inspected follow after the wind pressure has not been applied, and that performs a second sorting on the objects to be inspected using an external force other than wind pressure. and a sorting control unit that controls whether or not the air pressure is applied to the object to be inspected from each of the gas ejection units, and whether or not or the direction of the external force that is applied to the object to be inspected by the second sorting unit, based on the inspection results by the inspection unit.

2. The inspection and sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the external force is applied as a repulsive force generated when the object to be inspected collides with the second sorting section.

3. The inspection and sorting device described in claim 2, characterized in that the sorting control unit controls the operation of the second sorting unit based on the inspection results by the inspection unit, thereby controlling whether or not the inspection object will collide with the second sorting unit, thereby causing a difference in the fate of the inspection object and performing sorting.

4. The inspection and sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the external force is applied as a frictional force generated between the object to be inspected and the second sorting section.

5. The inspection and sorting device described in claim 4, characterized in that the second sorting unit is a conveying means that is positioned at a position where the inspection object lands and is capable of reversing the conveying direction, and the sorting control unit controls the conveying direction based on the inspection results by the inspection unit, thereby causing a difference in the direction of the inspection object and sorting it.

6. The inspection and sorting device described in claim 1, characterized in that the inspection unit determines whether the object to be inspected is a good product or a defective product, and whether the defective product is a minor defective product or a major defective product, and the sorting control unit controls the gas ejection unit so that, in the first sorting, the good products are sorted to a first side and the defective products are sorted to a second side, and in the second sorting, the defective products sorted to the second side are sorted to a third side or a fourth side, and at that time, controls the second sorting unit so that the major defective products are sorted to only one side.

7. The inspection and sorting device according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are X-rays.

8. The inspection and sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first sorting section comprises: a gas supply section that supplies gas; a gas distribution section that distributes the supplied gas to a plurality of discharge ports; and a plurality of communication sections that are flow paths made of a flexible material that provide one-to-one communication between the discharge ports and the gas discharge section and guide the gas discharged from the discharge ports to the gas discharge section.

Images