Inspection device

Abstract

This inspection device comprises: an entry port and an exit port for an object of interest; a conveyance mechanism for conveying the object of interest from the entry port to the exit port; and a control unit. The conveyance mechanism is in communication with each of an upstream conveyance mechanism and a downstream conveyance mechanism via the entry port and the exit port, and is configured to convey, inside the device, an object of interest conveyed into the device earlier and an object of interest conveyed into the device later as a unit. The control unit executes control for accepting conveyance of the object of interest to be inspected later on condition that a first distance, which is the distance between the entry port and a first position on a conveyance path where the leading end of the object of interest is located when the object of interest is placed at an imaging position set on the conveyance path, is greater than or equal to a second distance, which is the distance between the exit port and the trailing end of the object of interest conveyed into the inspection device earlier.

Claims

1. An inspection device that images an object to be inspected and inspects it based on the image captured, comprising: an entrance for the object to be inspected; an exit for the object to be inspected; a transport mechanism for transporting the object to be inspected from the entrance to the exit; and a control unit that controls the operation of at least the transport mechanism, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to communicate with an upstream transport mechanism and a downstream transport mechanism via the entrance and exit, respectively, at least when the object to be inspected is brought in, and to transport the object to be inspected that is brought into the inspection device first and the object to be inspected that is brought into the inspection device later as a single unit within the inspection device, wherein the control unit executes control to accept the arrival of the object to be inspected later, on the condition that the first distance, which is the distance between the entrance and a first position on the transport path where the front end of the object to be inspected is located when the object to be inspected is positioned on the transport path, is greater than or equal to the second distance, which is the distance between the exit and the rear end of the object to be inspected that was brought into the inspection device first.

2. A second position is defined on the transport path, located closer to the entrance than the first position, such that the distance between the second position and the exit is greater than or equal to the second distance when the first object to be inspected is positioned at the imaging position, and the control unit performs control to accept the ingress of the object to be inspected later after the rear end of the first object to be inspected has passed the second position when the first object to be inspected is discharged.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an object at the second position, wherein the control unit detects by the sensor output that the rear end of the object to be inspected has passed the second position.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit calculates the timing at which the rear end of the object to be inspected passes the second position, using information on the length of the object to be inspected in the direction of the transport path and information on the transport speed of the object to be inspected.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein shutters are provided at the entrance and exit, the transport mechanism includes a conveyor at least at the entrance and exit, the conveyor is configured to communicate with the upstream transport mechanism and the downstream transport mechanism when the shutter is open, and to be folded away when the shutter is closed so as not to interfere with the shutter.

6. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport and stop the object to be inspected by driving one actuator.

Images