Evaluation method, evaluation system, and evaluation device

Abstract

Provided is quantitative evaluation of a repellent which is not affected by a base material. This evaluation method evaluates the water repellency of the base material treated with the repellent. This evaluation method includes: irradiating, with infrared light, the base material which has been subjected to a treatment for causing moisture to adhere thereto; acquiring image data including the base material irradiated with the infrared light; detecting, from the acquired image data, a portion of the base material in which the moisture is present; and evaluating water repellency in accordance with the detected portion in which the moisture is present.

Description

Evaluation method, evaluation system, and evaluation device

[0001] This disclosure relates to an evaluation method, an evaluation system, and an evaluation apparatus for evaluating the performance of a repellent agent.

[0002] Water-repellent agents used for textiles and other materials are evaluated by, for example, treating a sample textile, applying water, and observing the state of water adhesion (a so-called spray test). In this evaluation method, the evaluation value is determined by visually comparing the sample with a predetermined standard (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Specifically, the performance evaluation of water-repellent agents is actually a relative evaluation using the evaluation standard of Test Method-22 of the AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists), the evaluation standard of L-1092 of the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), and the evaluation standard of 4920 of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization).

[0003] In contrast, there is a method of quantitatively evaluating the sample by photographing it and using the resulting image (for example, Patent Document 1). However, with conventional photography, it is not easy to detect only moisture depending on the conditions of the substrate. Therefore, it has been difficult to easily evaluate the water repellency of the repellent depending on the substrate.

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-103111

[0005] "Water Repellency: Spray Test", published by American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, AATCC Technical Manual / 2005, pp. 65-67, 2005

[0006] This disclosure provides an evaluation method, an evaluation system, and an evaluation apparatus for quantitatively evaluating water repellency without being affected by the substrate.

[0007] The evaluation method of the present disclosure is an evaluation method for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, wherein infrared light is irradiated onto the substrate that has been treated to deposit moisture, image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light is acquired, the portion of the substrate in which moisture is present is detected from the acquired image data, and the water repellency is evaluated according to the detected portion in which moisture is present.

[0008] The above evaluation method may also detect the presence of moisture by obtaining a difference image between a first image data of the substrate obtained by irradiating it with infrared light before the moisture-depositing process, and a second image data of the substrate obtained by irradiating it with infrared light after the moisture-depositing process.

[0009] The above evaluation method may also use a dome lighting device for irradiating infrared light, which has a dome portion having a curved shape recessed to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared light, with an opening provided at the apex of the curved dome portion.

[0010] In the evaluation method described above, a flat lighting device with a planar shape, installed parallel to the surface of the substrate, may be used for the irradiation of infrared light.

[0011] The above evaluation method may involve irradiating one side of the substrate with infrared light using a dome lighting device that has a dome portion having a curved shape recessed to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared light, with an opening provided at the apex of the curved dome portion, and irradiating the other side of the substrate with infrared light using a flat lighting device that has a planar shape and is installed parallel to the surface of the substrate.

[0012] The above evaluation method may involve binarizing the image data and detecting the portion where moisture is present from the binarized image data.

[0013] The above evaluation method may also involve obtaining the evaluation result from image data obtained by smoothing the aforementioned image data.

[0014] The evaluation method described above may also involve obtaining the evaluation result from image data obtained by smoothing the first image data and image data obtained by smoothing the second image data.

[0015] In the evaluation method described above, the difference image may be obtained from image data obtained by smoothing the first image data and image data obtained by smoothing the second image data.

[0016] The above evaluation method may involve counting the number of areas where moisture is present detected from the image data and evaluating the water repellency according to the number of areas where moisture is present.

[0017] The above evaluation method may evaluate water repellency according to the ratio of the area of ​​the substrate included in the image data to the area of ​​the portion where moisture is detected from the image data.

[0018] The evaluation system of the present disclosure is an evaluation system for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, and may include: an infrared illumination device that irradiates infrared light onto the substrate which has been treated to deposit moisture; an imaging device that captures image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light; and an evaluation device that detects the portion of the substrate in which moisture is present from the image data captured by the imaging device and evaluates the water repellency according to the detected portion in which moisture is present.

[0019] The evaluation system described above is a dome illumination device having a dome portion having a curved shape recessed with respect to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared rays, with an opening provided at the apex of the curved dome portion, and the imaging device may be installed in a position where the substrate irradiated with infrared rays from the opening provided in the infrared illumination device can be photographed vertically.

[0020] In the evaluation system described above, the infrared illumination device is a flat illumination device with a planar shape installed parallel to the surface of the substrate, and the imaging device may be installed in a position that allows for vertical imaging of the substrate from a side different from the illumination surface of the flat illumination device, so as to allow for imaging of the substrate irradiated by the infrared illumination device.

[0021] The evaluation system described above further includes a flat illumination device having a planar shape, installed parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein the infrared illumination device irradiates the substrate from one side, and the flat illumination device irradiates the substrate from the other side.

[0022] The evaluation apparatus of the present disclosure is an evaluation apparatus for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, and comprises an infrared illumination device that irradiates infrared light onto the substrate which has been treated to deposit moisture, and an imaging device that captures image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light, and the evaluation apparatus includes a calculation circuit, and the calculation circuit can detect the portion of the substrate in which moisture is present from the image data captured by the imaging device, and evaluate the water repellency according to the detected portion in which moisture is present.

[0023] The evaluation device described above may use the calculation circuit to binarize the image data and detect the portion where moisture is present from the binarized image data.

[0024] These general and specific embodiments may be implemented by systems, methods, and computer programs, or combinations thereof.

[0025] According to the evaluation method, evaluation system, and evaluation apparatus of this disclosure, the water repellency of a water repellent can be easily quantitatively evaluated.

[0026] This is a block diagram of the evaluation system of the present disclosure. This is a configuration diagram of the dome lighting device used in the evaluation system of the present disclosure. This is a cross-sectional view of the dome lighting device of Figure 2. This is a flowchart of the process performed by the evaluation device of the present disclosure. This is an example of image data of the substrate to be evaluated taken before water is sprayed. This is an example of image data of the substrate to be evaluated taken after water is sprayed. This is an example of image data obtained by filtering the image data of Figure 5B. This is an example of image data obtained by extracting the image data of Figure 5C. This is an example of difference data obtained in the evaluation process. This is an example of binarized data obtained by binarizing the difference data of Figure 5E. This is an explanatory diagram for determining the number of water droplet regions from the binarized data.

[0027] The evaluation methods, evaluation systems, and evaluation apparatus according to each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The evaluation methods and evaluation apparatus of this disclosure evaluate the performance of a repellent applied to a substrate. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0028] Here, "repellent agent" is defined as a substance used to treat a substrate such as fibers for purposes such as water repellency, oil repellency, and stain resistance. In the evaluation of a repellent agent, the fiber substrate is treated with a predetermined amount of the repellent agent, and then a predetermined amount of water is applied to it. The process of applying water can be, for example, by spraying water. In the evaluation, the state of the water remaining on the substrate after the water application process is determined by the number of water droplets and / or the ratio of the water-containing portion to the total surface area of ​​the substrate.

[0029] (Water-repellent agent) In this disclosure, the water-repellent agent is preferably one that imparts water repellency to the substrate, a so-called "water-repellent agent." The water-repellent agent preferably comprises a water-repellent polymer, a solvent, and a surfactant.

[0030] The above-mentioned repellent polymer is preferably an acrylic polymer, a silicone polymer, or a urethane polymer.

[0031] In one embodiment, the above-mentioned repellent polymer is of the following formula: CH ２ =CA １１ -C(=O)-O-A １２ (In the formula, A １１ A is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. １２ ) is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 40 carbon atoms.) An acrylic polymer having repeating units derived from a long-chain (meth)acrylate ester monomer represented by the following formula:

[0032] (In the formula, R １ R is an organic residue having an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group. ２ R is a hydrocarbon group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms. ３is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms. It is preferably selected from acrylic polymers having repeating units derived from amide group-containing monomers represented by).

[0033] In another aspect, the repellent polymer can be the repellent polymer described in JP-T-2016-524628. The repellent polymer preferably does not contain fluorine. Examples of such repellent polymers include the following formula:

[0034] (In the formula, R ４ are each independently -H, a linear or branched alkyl group having 6 to 30 carbons optionally containing at least one unsaturated bond, or a combination thereof; -(CH ２ CH ２ O) ｎ’ (CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O) ｍ’ R ７ ; or -(CH ２ CH ２ O) ｎ’ (CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O) ｍ’ C(O)R ６ ; where n' are each independently 0 to 20, m' are each independently 0 to 20, m'+n' is greater than 0, R ５ is -C(O)R ６ and R ６ are each independently a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 29 carbons optionally containing at least one unsaturated bond, and R ７ are each independently -H or a linear or branched alkyl group having 6 to 30 carbons optionally containing at least one unsaturated bond as desired.) Examples include urethane polymers represented by.

[0035] In another embodiment, the repellent polymer may be the repellent polymer described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-328624. Examples of such repellent polymers include a polymer containing (meth)acrylic acid esters with 12 or more carbon atoms in the ester portion as monomer units, wherein the proportion of the (meth)acrylic acid ester is 80 to 100% by mass of the total amount of monomer units constituting the polymer, and the polymer has a weight-average molecular weight of 100,000 or more and a melt viscosity of 1,000 Pa·s or less at 160°C.

[0036] In another embodiment, the above-mentioned repellent polymer may be the repellent polymer described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-025440. For example, such a repellent polymer may be the following:

[0037] (In the formula, R １１ R represents hydrogen or a methyl group. １２ Examples of repellent polymers include those containing a constituent unit derived from a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer represented by (where represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 12 or more carbon atoms, which may have substituents) and a constituent unit derived from at least one monomer of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the repellent polymer may preferably further contain a polymer comprising at least one reactive emulsifier selected from among (B1) a compound represented by the following general formula (I-1) having an HLB of 7 to 18, (B2) a compound represented by the following general formula (II-1) having an HLB of 7 to 18, and (B3) a compound obtained by adding a C2-C4 alkylene oxide to a fat or oil having a hydroxyl group and a polymerizable unsaturated group, having an HLB of 7 to 18.

[0039] (In the formula, R １３ represents a hydrogen or methyl group, X represents a linear or branched alkylene group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and Y １ (This represents a divalent group containing an alkylene oxy group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms.)

[0040] (In the formula, R １４Y represents a monovalent unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 13 to 17 carbon atoms and possessing a polymerizable unsaturated group. 2 (This represents a divalent group containing an alkylene oxy group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms.)

[0041] In another embodiment, the above-mentioned repellent polymer may be the polymer described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-155095. For example, such a polymer may be the following:

[0042] (In the formula, R ２０ , R ２１ and R ２２ Each of these independently represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, or an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R ２３ R represents a hydrocarbon group having 8 to 40 carbon atoms and an aromatic ring, or an alkyl group having 3 to 22 carbon atoms. ３０ , R ３１ , R ３２ , R ３３ , R ３４ and R ３５ Each of these independently represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon group having 8 to 40 carbon atoms with an aromatic ring, or an alkyl group having 3 to 22 carbon atoms, where a represents an integer of 0 or more, b represents an integer of 1 or more, (a + b) is between 10 and 200, and if a is 2 or more, there are multiple R ２０ and R ２１ These may be the same or different, and if b is 2 or more, there may be multiple R ２２ and R ２３ Examples of organo-modified silicones are those represented by (which may be the same or different).

[0043] In another embodiment, the repellent polymer may be a polymer described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-214680, particularly a dendritic polymer compound having a radial and regularly branched structure from the center. Such a dendritic polymer compound may be, for example, at least one isocyanate group-containing compound selected from isocyanates, diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, or mixtures thereof, and the following formula:

[0044] (In the formula, R ２７ These are, independently, -H and R２８ 、 -C(O)R ２８ 、 -(CH ２ CH ２ (CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O)n(CH(CH ｍ R ２９ 、 or, -(CH ２ CH ２ O) ｎ (CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O) ｍ C(O)R ２８ represents, where n is independently 0 to 20 for each, and m is independently 0 to 20 for each, and m + n exceeds 0; R ２８ represents, for each, a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 29 carbon atoms that may contain one or more unsaturated bonds, and R ２９ represents, for each, -H, or a linear or branched alkyl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms that may contain one or more unsaturated bonds; R ２６ is -H, -R ２８ , -C(O)R ２８ , -(CH ２ CH ２ O(CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O) ｍ R ２９ , or -(CH ２ CH ２ O(CH(CH ３ )CH ２ OC(O)R ２８ represents, and R ２４ represents, for each, -H, or a linear or branched alkyl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms that may contain one or more unsaturated bonds, -(CH ２ CH ２ O) ｎ’ (CH(CH ３ )CH ２ O)m'R ２９ , or -(CH[[ID=七十六]] ２ [[ID=七十七]] ２ [[ID=七十八]] ３ [[ID=七十九]] ２ [[ID=八十]] ２８ ​​​​is shown, and n' is, independently of each other, 0 to 20, m' is, independently of each other, 0 to 20, and m + n exceeds 0. R ２５ is -H, -C(O)R ２８ or -CH ２ C[CH ２ OR ２７ ３ represents.) And a compound obtained by reacting with at least one isocyanate-reactive compound represented by any of them.

[0045] In another aspect, the water-repellent polymer can be the water-repellent polymer described in JP-A-2017-222827. Such a water-repellent polymer includes, for example, the following formula: R ５１ [-W １ -R ５２ ｄ [-V-R ５３ (-Z １ ) ｇ ｅ (In the formula, d represents an integer of 2 or more, e represents an integer of 1 or more, (d + e) is 3 to 6, g represents an integer of 1 or more, R ５１ represents a (d + e)-valent organic group, W １ represents a divalent group that is an ester group, an amide group, a urethane group or a urea group, R ５２ represents a linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, V represents a divalent group that is a urethane group or a urea group, R ５３ represents a (1 + g)-valent organic group, Z １ represents a monovalent group that is an isocyanate group or a blocked isocyanate group.) And a blocked isocyanate represented by the formula.

[0046] In another aspect, the water-repellent polymer can be the water-repellent polymer described in JP-A-2015-120894. Such a water-repellent polymer includes, for example, (i) the formula: CH ２ =CR ４１ -C(=O)-O-R ４２ (In the formula, R ４１ is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R ４２ ​​​(ii) is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 18 to 30 carbon atoms. Examples include polymers having repeating units derived from long-chain (meth)acrylate monomers represented by (ii) and repeating units derived from (meth)acrylate monomers having a cyclic hydrocarbon group.

[0047] The solvent mentioned above is water or a non-aqueous solvent, and is preferably water.

[0048] The above-mentioned surfactants may include nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants.

[0049] In one embodiment, the repellent may contain additives in addition to the above components. Examples of additives include crosslinking agents (e.g., blocked isocyanates), insecticides, antibacterial agents, softeners, antifungal agents, flame retardants, antistatic agents, defoaming agents, paint fixatives, penetrating agents, organic solvents, catalysts, pH adjusters, and anti-wrinkle agents.

[0050] (Substrate) The substrate to be processed is typically a textile product, especially a cloth, which includes woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics, cloths in garment form and carpets, but may also be a fiber or yarn or intermediate textile product (e.g., sliver or roving). The textile product material may be a natural fiber (e.g., cotton or wool), a chemical fiber (e.g., viscose rayon or reocell), or a synthetic fiber (e.g., polyester, polyamide or acrylic fiber), or a mixture of fibers (e.g., a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers).

[0051] (Processing Method) "Processing" means applying a processing agent (in this disclosure, a repellent agent) to a workpiece (in this disclosure, a substrate) by immersion, spraying, coating, etc. Through processing, the active ingredient of the processing agent (in this disclosure, a repellent polymer) penetrates into the workpiece and / or adheres to the surface of the workpiece. "Processing" also includes incorporating the processing agent into the workpiece by kneading (e.g., melt kneading) with the workpiece or its raw materials.

[0052] The repellent agent can be applied to the substrate by any known method for treating the substrate with a liquid, such as a textile product. When the substrate is a cloth, the cloth may be immersed in the solution, or the solution may be applied to or sprayed onto the cloth. The treated substrate is dried and preferably heated, for example, at 100°C to 200°C, in order to exhibit water-repellent and / or oil-repellent properties.

[0053] To obtain a treated nonwoven fabric, a resin composition is obtained by kneading (e.g., melt kneading) a thermoplastic resin and a repellent, and then the treated nonwoven fabric is obtained by heating and spinning this composition. Generally, the thermoplastic resin and the repellent are heated to a temperature of 100 to 320°C, for example, 200 to 300°C, kneaded, and then the nonwoven fabric is manufactured.

[0054] (Evaluation using the evaluation system of this disclosure) The evaluation can be performed by processing image data of the substrate taken after spraying water to obtain numerical values ​​for the state of stains and water droplets remaining on the substrate. The evaluation results can be expressed, for example, as the percentage of the total surface area of ​​the substrate that contains water, the number of water droplets remaining on the substrate, etc. In this disclosure, the example of attaching water to the substrate by spraying water onto the substrate after treatment will be explained. However, the method of attaching water to the substrate is not limited to spraying.

[0055] The area of ​​the substrate that contains moisture is, in other words, the area of ​​the stain remaining on the substrate. A large ratio of the stain area to the substrate area indicates a high degree of moisture in the substrate. Therefore, when the stain area is large relative to the substrate area, it can be said that the water repellency of the repellent is not high. Thus, the ratio of the area containing moisture to the substrate area can be used as an indicator for evaluating water repellency. Note that the evaluation results are the same even if the ratio of the substrate area to the area containing moisture is used instead of the ratio of the area containing moisture to the substrate area.

[0056] Furthermore, the number of water droplets remaining on the substrate indicates a state where the substrate is not wet, but moisture is adhering to the surface of the substrate. After spraying water onto the substrate, a process is provided to ensure that not all moisture remains on the substrate, for example, by tilting the substrate. When the water-repellent agent used in the treatment of the base material has high water repellency, some of the water droplets that adhere to the substrate through such a process will flow off the substrate. Therefore, when there are many water droplets adhering, it can be said that the water repellency of the agent is not as high as when there are few water droplets. Thus, the number of water droplets can be used as an indicator for evaluating water repellency.

[0057] Thus, in evaluating water repellents, elements such as "stains" and "water droplets" that occur on the substrate treated with the water repellent are taken into consideration. In particular, when quantitatively evaluating water repellency, stains and water droplets may be detected from image data of the substrate. However, when photographed with normal visible light, image data of a substrate treated with a water repellent includes many elements unrelated to the water repellent, in addition to stains and water droplets. Unrelated elements included in the image data include the "color" of the substrate. The image data also includes "wrinkles" on the substrate, the color of the fibers used as the substrate, and "properties of the substrate," such as texture including coarseness. When attempting to calculate evaluation values ​​using image data that includes these elements, it is necessary to distinguish between elements related to the performance of the water repellent and elements unrelated to the performance of the water repellent. The evaluation method, evaluation system, and evaluation apparatus according to this disclosure acquire and evaluate image data in a way that does not include elements unrelated to the performance of the water repellent.

[0058] [Embodiment] An evaluation system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the evaluation system 1 includes an evaluation device 10 and an imaging device 20.

[0059] <Evaluation device>

[0060] As shown in Figure 1, the evaluation device 10 is an information processing device comprising an arithmetic circuit 11, a storage device 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, and a communication circuit 15.

[0061] The arithmetic circuit 11 is a controller that oversees the control of the entire evaluation device 10. For example, the arithmetic circuit 11 reads and executes the evaluation program P stored in the memory device 12 to perform various processes related to the evaluation of the performance of the repellent. The arithmetic circuit 11 may be a CPU, MPU, GPU, FPGA, DSP, ASIC, or other type of processor or a specially designed hardware circuit.

[0062] The storage device 12 is a recording medium that stores various types of information. The storage device 12 can be implemented as, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), hard disk drive, or other storage devices, or a combination thereof as appropriate. The storage device 12 stores the evaluation program P executed by the arithmetic circuit 11, as well as various data used for evaluation. For example, the storage device 12 stores the first image data 121, the second image data 122, the result data 123, and the evaluation program P.

[0063] The input device 13 may be an operation button, mouse, keyboard, etc., used for inputting operation signals or data. The output device 14 may be a display, etc., used for outputting processing results or data.

[0064] The communication circuit 15 is an interface circuit (module) that enables data communication with an external device. For example, the communication circuit 15 may perform data communication with an imaging device 20 that captures image data.

[0065] Here, the evaluation device 10 may be implemented by a single computer, or by a combination of multiple computers connected via a network. Although not shown in the figures, for example, all or part of the data stored in the storage device 12 may be stored on an external recording medium connected via a network, and the evaluation device 10 may be configured to use the data stored on the external recording medium.

[0066] <Photography equipment>

[0067] The imaging device 20 can acquire an infrared image by irradiating the substrate 3 with infrared light and receiving the infrared light that has passed through the substrate 3 and / or reflected by the substrate 3 with a camera. The imaging device 20 captures an infrared image by irradiating the substrate 3 with near-infrared light in the range of 800-2500 nm. In this embodiment, an example in which an infrared image is captured by irradiating the substrate 3 with 1450 nm infrared light will be used for explanation. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the imaging device 20 may include a camera 21, a lens 22, a dome illumination device 23, and a flat illumination device 24.

[0068] Camera 21 is an IR camera that receives infrared light generated by the illumination of the dome lighting device 23 and / or the flat lighting device 24. Camera 21 has an image sensor (not shown) that detects infrared light. Specifically, Camera 21 captures an image of the infrared light that is illuminated by the dome lighting device 23 onto the substrate 3 and reflected by the substrate 3. Camera 21 also captures an image of the infrared light that is illuminated by the flat lighting device 24 onto the substrate 3 and transmitted through the substrate 3. The amount of infrared light detected by Camera 21 differs depending on the properties of the material to which the infrared light is reflected or transmitted. As a result, Camera 21 can capture an image that distinguishes between parts of the substrate 3 that contain moisture and parts that do not contain moisture.

[0069] Lens 22 is used to focus the infrared light received by camera 21. Lens 22 is selected to obtain the appropriate focus for the image sensor of camera 21.

[0070] Figure 3 shows an example of a cross-sectional view of the dome lighting device 23. The dome lighting device 23 has a curved dome portion 231 and a light source 232 that emits infrared rays. An opening 233 is provided at the apex of the curved dome portion 231. The light source 232 may be, for example, an LED that emits infrared rays. In the example shown in Figure 3, the inner surface 234 of the dome portion 231 is formed as a reflective surface. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the light emitted by the light source 232 is reflected by the inner surface 234 of the dome portion 231 and uniformly illuminates the target substrate 3 from the lower opening 235. As a result, the infrared rays from the light source 232 are irradiated onto the substrate 3 as indirect light. The dome lighting device 23 illuminates the first surface 31 of the substrate 3.

[0071] Furthermore, the camera 21 and the dome lighting device 23 are positioned such that the camera 21 can photograph the substrate 3 from the opening 233. Therefore, the camera 21 can photograph the infrared light that is irradiated onto and reflected from the substrate 3.

[0072] By irradiating the first surface 31 with infrared light and photographing the substrate 3, the imaging device 20 can capture an image that easily detects the moisture contained in the substrate 3, without being affected by the color of the substrate 3, wrinkles and / or undulations occurring on the substrate 3, the texture of the substrate 3, or other properties of the substrate 3. Here, the camera 21 is located on the side of the first surface 31. Therefore, the image captured by the camera 21 is of the first surface 31. Specifically, the amount of infrared light reflected differs between the substrate 3 itself, which does not contain moisture on the first surface 31, and the moisture contained in the first surface 31. Therefore, the camera 21 uses the infrared light emitted by the dome illumination device 23 to capture an image that distinguishes the substrate 3 itself from the moisture. Here, even when the substrate 3 contains moisture, the amount of infrared light reflected differs depending on whether the moisture is contained as water droplets on the first surface 31 or as stains inside the substrate 3. More specifically, when moisture is present inside the substrate 3 as a stain on the first surface 31, but there is no moisture on the first surface 31, the amount of reflected infrared radiation is about the same as when there is no moisture inside the first surface 31 or the substrate 3. On the other hand, when there is a stain, but the moisture has not penetrated completely into the substrate 3 and is present on the first surface 31, the amount of reflected infrared radiation is the same as when there is moisture present on the first surface 31 as a water droplet. Therefore, when using the dome illumination device 23, it is possible to detect water droplets and / or stains where moisture is present on the first surface 31, but stains where moisture is present inside the substrate 3 cannot be detected. In this way, since infrared radiation does not detect the color, wrinkles, texture, etc. of a material, the imaging device 20 can capture an image of the moisture present on the first surface 31 of the substrate without being affected by the color, wrinkles, texture, etc. of the substrate 3 itself.

[0073] Note that the configuration of the dome lighting device 23 described above using Figure 3 is just one example. Therefore, the configuration is not limited to that shown in Figure 3, as long as the dome lighting can uniformly illuminate the substrate 3 with indirect light.

[0074] The flat lighting device 24 is a planar lighting device installed parallel to the surface of the substrate 3. The flat lighting device 24 has one or more light sources inside and uniformly illuminates the second surface 32 of the substrate 3.

[0075] By irradiating the second surface 32 with infrared light and photographing the substrate 3, the imaging device 20 can capture an image that easily detects the moisture contained in the substrate 3, without being affected by the color of the substrate 3, wrinkles and / or undulations occurring on the substrate 3, the texture of the substrate 3, or other properties of the substrate 3. As described above, the camera 21 is located on the side of the first surface 31. On the other hand, the flat illumination device 24 is located on the side of the second surface 32. Therefore, the camera 21 photographs the first surface 31, which is illuminated by the flat illumination device 24 from the opposite side via the substrate 3. Specifically, the amount of infrared light transmitted differs between the substrate 3 itself, which does not contain moisture, and the moisture contained in the substrate 3. The camera 21 uses the infrared light emitted by the flat illumination device 24 to capture an image that distinguishes between the substrate 3 itself and the moisture. Here, when moisture is present in either part of the substrate 3, the amount of infrared light transmitted differs. Specifically, if there are water droplets and / or stains on the first surface 31, if there are stains inside the substrate 3, or if there is moisture seeping out onto the second surface 32, these can all be detected as the substrate 3 containing moisture without distinction. In this way, since infrared radiation is the same if the material is the same, the imaging device 20 can capture an image that identifies the moisture-containing area without being affected by wrinkles in the substrate 3 itself or properties such as the texture of the material.

[0076] In Figure 2, an example is shown in which the system includes a dome lighting device 23 and a flat lighting device 24, but the system is not limited to this. The system may also include only the dome lighting device 23. In this case, the imaging device 20 can capture images including water droplets without being affected by the color of the substrate 3, wrinkles that occur on the substrate 3, or the properties of the substrate 3. The imaging device 20 may also include only the flat lighting device 24. In this case, the imaging device 20 can capture images including water droplets and stains without being affected by wrinkles and the properties of the substrate. Therefore, when both the dome lighting device 23 and the flat lighting device 24 are used, the imaging device 20 can capture images that are not affected by the color of the substrate 3, wrinkles that occur on the substrate 3, or the properties of the substrate 3.

[0077] <Process for evaluating repellent agents> The process for evaluating repellent agents performed in the evaluation device 10 will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 4.

[0078] The calculation circuit 11 acquires first image data 121 (without moisture) including the substrate 3 treated with the repellent agent to be evaluated (S1). At this point, no moisture has been sprayed onto the substrate 3. For example, the calculation circuit 11 sends a control signal to the imaging device 20 to control it to capture an image of the substrate 30 treated with the repellent agent to be evaluated and before moisture is sprayed onto it. The calculation circuit 11 also acquires image data from the imaging device 20 and stores the acquired first image data 121 in the storage device 12. Figure 5A shows an example of the first image data 121. As described above, the imaging device 20 creates an image by detecting infrared light. Therefore, in the following explanation, the image data acquired by the imaging device 20 will be described as a grayscale image.

[0079] Next, the calculation circuit 11 acquires a second image data 122 (with moisture) including the base material 30 on which moisture has been sprayed (S2). This second image data 122 is an image taken after moisture has been sprayed onto the base material 30 treated with the repellent included in the first image data taken in step S1. For example, the calculation circuit 11 sends a control signal to the imaging device 20 to control it to take an image of the substrate 3 after it has been treated with the repellent to be evaluated and after moisture has been sprayed onto it. The calculation circuit 11 also stores the second image data 122 acquired from the imaging device 20 in the storage device 12. An example of the second image data 122 is shown in Figure 5B. In the second image data 122 in Figure 5B, the darker colored areas not included in the first image data 121 in Figure 5A are the parts of the substrate 3 that contain moisture.

[0080] The arithmetic circuit 11 performs filtering on the image data 121 and 122 acquired in steps S1 and S2 (S3). The arithmetic circuit 11 performs filtering to remove the texture of the substrate 3 contained in the image. For example, the arithmetic circuit 11 uses a smoothing filter to remove the influence of the texture of the substrate 3 contained in the image data 121 and 122. Specifically, the arithmetic circuit 11 performs filtering using filters such as a bilateral filter, a non-local mean filter, a Gaussian filter, and a median filter. Figure 5C shows an example of filtering performed on the second image data 122 of Figure 5B.

[0081] In step S3, the arithmetic circuit 11 performs an extraction process on the first and second image data after filtering (S4). The arithmetic circuit 11 performs an extraction process to extract the area of ​​the target substrate 3 from each image data. The arithmetic circuit 11 extracts the area of ​​the substrate 3 as the target of subsequent processing using, for example, Hough transform, edge detection, contour extraction, etc. Figure 5D shows an example in which the area of ​​the substrate 3 is detected from the second image data after the filtering process in Figure 5C has been performed. The example of the second image data shown in Figure 5C includes the fasteners that fix the substrate 3 and the ends of the fibers that make up the substrate. In contrast, the example of the second image data after detection processing shown in Figure 5D extracts only the portion of the substrate 3. In Figure 5D, the image data is formed by the smallest rectangle including the substrate 3, and the portion other than the substrate 3 is represented in grayscale 0 (black).

[0082] The arithmetic circuit 11 calculates the difference between the first and second image data, which were extracted in step S4 (S5). Figure 5E shows an example of difference data obtained from the image data in Figure 5A after filtering and extraction processing has been performed (not shown) and the image data in Figure 5D.

[0083] The arithmetic circuit 11 generates binarized data by binarizing the difference data obtained in step S5 (S6). The arithmetic circuit 11 sets a threshold for the difference data. The arithmetic circuit 11 also generates binarized data by binarizing the difference data using the set threshold. Figure 5F shows an example of binarized data generated from the difference data in Figure 5E. In the example shown in Figure 5F, the parts containing moisture are represented by grayscale 0 (black), and the parts not containing moisture are represented by grayscale 255 (white). For setting the threshold, for example, Otsu's method can be used. Alternatively, the threshold may be set by accepting input from the user.

[0084] The calculation circuit 11 uses the binarized data obtained in step S6 to determine the evaluation result (S7). From the binarized data, the calculation circuit 11 determines the evaluation result which includes at least one of the following: the number of water droplets on the surface area of ​​the target substrate 3 and the percentage of the surface area containing moisture.

[0085] For example, the arithmetic circuit 11 detects closed regions surrounded by black outlines formed in the binarized data as water droplet regions. For example, in the example of binarized data in Figure 5F, the number of water droplets is "1757". Let's explain water droplet extraction using Figure 6. Figure 6 is an example of binarized data. The arithmetic circuit 11 detects each of the independent black regions e1 to e3 as one water droplet region. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 6, the number of water droplets is "3". For example, in Figure 6, the black region e3 is a collection of multiple water droplets, but it can be considered as one closed region. Therefore, the black region e3 is counted as one water droplet.

[0086] Furthermore, the calculation circuit 11 can determine the percentage of the moisture-containing area in the substrate 3 by using the binarized data obtained in step S6 to calculate the ratio of the area of ​​grayscale 0 set for the moisture-containing portion out of the total area of ​​the image. For example, in the example of binarized data in Figure 5F, the percentage of the moisture-containing area is "36.21%". In this case, for example, "36.21" may be used as the score indicating the evaluation result.

[0087] In step S6, the binarized data obtained does not distinguish between the substrate and the non-substrate portion. Specifically, in Figure 5D, the substrate is circular, but the area outside the circle (black portion) is the non-substrate portion. Even if the ratio of grayscale 0 to grayscale 255 shown in Figure 5F is simply calculated, the proportion of the substrate 3 that contains moisture cannot be accurately determined. The calculation circuit 11, for example, first determines the number of pixels in the non-substrate region of an image from an image where the non-substrate region can be easily distinguished (for example, one of the images in Figures 5A to 5D). In step S7, the calculation circuit 11 removes the pixels of the non-substrate region determined in advance from the binarized data and determines the proportion of the moisture-containing area. This makes it possible to accurately determine the proportion of the substrate 3 that contains moisture.

[0088] The arithmetic circuit 11 can store the calculated result as result data 123 in the storage device 12 (S8). Alternatively, the arithmetic circuit 11 may output the result data 123 to the output device 14.

[0089] Thus, the evaluation device 10 uses image data 121 and 122 obtained by irradiating the base material 30 treated with the repellent to be evaluated with infrared light to determine the evaluation result of the repellent. Specifically, by irradiating with infrared light using dome illumination and acquiring image data, it is possible to obtain infrared images that are not affected by the color of the base material 30. Furthermore, by irradiating with infrared light using flat illumination and acquiring image data, it is possible to obtain infrared images that are not affected by wrinkles or the texture of the base material 30. Dome illumination and flat illumination can also be used simultaneously. By using infrared images, quantitative evaluation can be performed with simple processing.

[0090] [Modified Version] In the evaluation device 10 according to the above embodiment, the calculation circuit 11 determines a threshold from the difference data. In contrast, in the modified evaluation device 10, the user may set the threshold. The modified evaluation device 10 displays a histogram of the difference data on the output device 14. The user sets the threshold via the input device 13 based on the histogram displayed on the output device 14. The calculation circuit 11 generates binarized data using the threshold set by the user. In the modified evaluation device 10, the filtering process, extraction process, difference data generation process, and evaluation result calculation process are the same as in the evaluation device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0091] <Effects and Supplementary Information> As described above, the embodiments described above have been presented as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted as appropriate.

[0092] The evaluation methods, evaluation systems, and evaluation apparatus described in all claims of this disclosure are implemented through the cooperation of hardware resources, such as a processor, memory, and programs.

[0093] The evaluation method, evaluation system, and evaluation apparatus disclosed herein are useful, for example, for the quantitative evaluation of the performance of repellents.

[0094] This application claims priority under Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-009234, filed in Japan on 22 January 2025, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0095] 1 Evaluation System 10 Evaluation Device 11 Arithmetic Circuit 12 Memory Device 121 First Image Data (No Moisture) 122 Second Image Data (With Moisture) 123 Result Data P Evaluation Program 13 Input Device 14 Output Device 15 Communication Circuit 20 Imaging Device 21 Camera 22 Lens 23 Dome Illumination Device 24 Flat Illumination Device

Claims

1. An evaluation method for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, comprising: irradiating the substrate, which has been treated to deposit moisture, with infrared light; acquiring image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light; detecting the portion of the substrate in which moisture is present from the acquired image data; and evaluating the water repellency according to the detected portion in which moisture is present.

2. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein the portion where moisture is present is detected by obtaining a difference image between a first image data of the substrate obtained by irradiating it with infrared light before the moisture-depositing process and a second image data of the substrate obtained by irradiating it with infrared light after the moisture-depositing process.

3. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein the infrared irradiation is performed using a dome lighting device having a dome portion having a curved shape recessed with respect to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared rays, with an opening provided at the apex of the curved dome portion.

4. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein a flat lighting device with a planar shape installed parallel to the surface of the substrate is used for the irradiation of infrared rays.

5. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein infrared light is irradiated from one side of the substrate by a dome lighting device having a dome portion having a curved shape recessed to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared light, with an opening provided at the apex of the curved dome portion; and infrared light is irradiated from the other side of the substrate by a flat lighting device having a planar shape and being installed parallel to the surface of the substrate.

6. The evaluation method according to claim 1, comprising: binarizing the image data; and detecting the portion where moisture is present from the binarized image data.

7. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein an evaluation result is obtained from image data obtained by smoothing the aforementioned image data.

8. The evaluation method according to claim 2, wherein an evaluation result is obtained from image data obtained by smoothing the first image data and image data obtained by smoothing the second image data.

9. The evaluation method according to claim 2, wherein the difference image is obtained from image data obtained by smoothing the first image data and image data obtained by smoothing the second image data.

10. The evaluation method according to claim 1, which counts the number of areas where moisture is present detected from the image data and evaluates water repellency according to the number of areas where moisture is present.

11. The evaluation method according to claim 1, which evaluates water repellency according to the ratio of the area of ​​the substrate included in the image data to the area of ​​the portion where moisture is present as detected from the image data.

12. An evaluation system for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, comprising: an infrared illumination device that irradiates infrared light onto the substrate which has been treated to deposit moisture; an imaging device that captures image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light; and an evaluation device that detects the portion of the substrate in which the moisture is present from the image data captured by the imaging device, and evaluates the water repellency according to the detected portion in which the moisture is present.

13. The evaluation system according to claim 12, wherein the infrared illumination device has a dome portion having a curved shape recessed with respect to the substrate and a light source that emits infrared rays, and an opening is provided at the apex of the curved dome portion, and the imaging device is installed in a position where the substrate irradiated with infrared rays can be photographed vertically from the opening provided in the infrared illumination device.

14. The evaluation system according to claim 12, wherein the infrared illumination device is a flat illumination device with a planar shape installed parallel to the surface of the substrate, and the imaging device is installed in a position where the substrate irradiated by the infrared illumination device can be photographed vertically from a side different from the irradiation surface of the flat illumination device.

15. The evaluation system according to claim 13, wherein the infrared illumination device further includes a flat illumination device having a planar shape installed parallel to the surface of the substrate, the dome illumination device irradiates the substrate from one side, and the flat illumination device irradiates the substrate from the other side.

16. An evaluation apparatus for evaluating the water repellency of a substrate treated with a water repellent, comprising: an infrared illumination device that irradiates infrared light onto the substrate which has been treated to deposit moisture; and an imaging device that captures image data including the substrate irradiated with infrared light, the evaluation apparatus comprising a calculation circuit, the calculation circuit detecting the portion of the substrate in which moisture is present from the image data captured by the imaging device, and evaluating the water repellency according to the detected portion in which moisture is present.

17. An evaluation apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the calculation circuit performs binarization processing on the image data and detects the portion where moisture is present from the binarized image data.

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