JP3175930U - X-ray inspection equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a new X-ray inspection apparatus capable of specifying a seal region of a bag and inspecting for a seal failure without using a transmission X-ray image.
SOLUTION: A detection unit that is installed upstream of a position where X-rays are radiated to a packaged product and detects a seal part of the packaged product, and a detected seal part based on a detection signal from the detection unit Is X
A calculating unit that calculates a time zone that passes through the irradiation position of the line, and a determining unit that discriminates a seal failure of the packaged item based on a transmission X-ray image of the calculated time zone.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an X-ray inspection apparatus that irradiates a packaged object to be inspected with X-rays and inspects biting of contents at a seal portion of the object to be inspected.

Processed foods such as instant noodles produced at the factory may be enclosed in a small bag filled with powdered soup or condiment. Until the sachet is enclosed with the processed food, a plurality of sachets are continuously connected at a constant pitch.

When manufacturing this small packaged bag (hereinafter referred to as a packaged product), there should be no excess or deficiency in the inner volume of the bag. Therefore, in the X-ray inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, Detecting excess and shortage of empty bags and contents by specifying the content storage area from the transmission X-ray image obtained by irradiating the packaged product with X-rays and estimating the weight value of the storage area is doing.

Moreover, there exists a thing of the following patent documents 2-4 as what inspects the sealing defect of each bag. In the X-ray inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 2, a bag seal region is specified based on the outer shape of the bag extracted from a transmission X-ray image, and the biting of the contents is determined from the density level of the seal region. . Further, in the X-ray inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 3, the bag size and the seal width are set in advance, and the biting of the contents into the seal portion is determined based on the set value and the transmitted X-ray image. is doing. Furthermore, in the X-ray inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 4, the length from the outer edge of the bag to the edge of the contents is calculated based on the transmission X-ray image, and the seal portion is applied based on the calculated length. The biting of the contents is determined.

WO2009 / 041393 Japanese Patent No. 3943099 Japanese Patent No. 3860154 JP 2010-286424 A

However, in the inventions disclosed in these Patent Documents 1 to 4, the seal region is specified by specifying the outline of the bag from the transmission X-ray image, but the outline and boundary of each bag are unclear. The continuous package has a problem that the seal region cannot be specified from the transmission X-ray image. In addition, as in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to specify a storage area for contents from a transmission X-ray image, and specify a seal area adjacent to the storage area from the storage area. Then, since the contents of individual bags are unevenly distributed or scattered, it is difficult to specify the seal area from the contents storage area. Therefore, these patent documents 1
When using the inventions described in (4) to (4), there was a problem that the seal failure of the continuous package could not be inspected.

In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides a new X-ray inspection apparatus that can specify a sealing region of a bag without using a transmission X-ray image and inspect the sealing failure there. Let it be an issue.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an X-ray inspection apparatus according to the present invention provides an X-ray inspection apparatus that continuously feeds a continuous package of sealed bags at a constant pitch in a longitudinal direction at a constant speed. An X-ray inspection apparatus that inspects a sealed portion of a packaged product by irradiating a line, and is installed upstream of a position where the packaged product is irradiated with X-rays to detect a sealed portion of the packaged product And a calculation means for calculating a time zone in which the detected seal portion passes the X-ray irradiation position based on a detection signal from the detection means, and a transmission X-ray image of the calculated time zone. And a discriminating means for discriminating a seal failure of the packaged item.

The form of the bag used here may be any type of bag such as a three-sided seal, a four-sided seal, or a pillow package, but the vertical seal part along the conveying direction such as a three-sided seal or a four-sided seal, In the transmission X-ray image, it is projected as a side edge of the packaged product, and therefore, the sealing failure of the vertical seal portion can be inspected based on the transmission X-ray image. On the other hand, if the contents are unevenly distributed or scattered, the horizontal seal portion in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction cannot be specified from the transmission X-ray image. Therefore, the seal portion detected by the detection means is a lateral seal portion applied in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the packaged product.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distance L1 between the detection position where the lateral seal portion S is detected and the X-ray irradiation position is constant, the conveyance speed of the bag B is also known, and is constant. From these setting conditions, it can be calculated how many seconds after the horizontal seal portion S reaches the detection position in FIG. 1 the X-ray irradiation position is reached. Further, the time required for the horizontal seal portion S to pass the X-ray irradiation position can be obtained by detecting the time required for the horizontal seal portion S to pass the detection position by the detection means. Or it can obtain | require by dividing the width W in alignment with the conveyance direction of the horizontal seal | sticker part S set beforehand by the conveyance speed of a packaged article.

Therefore, timing is started from the time when the horizontal seal portion S of the continuous package conveyed at a constant speed is detected by the detection means, and when the horizontal seal portion S reaches the X-ray irradiation position, the horizontal seal is started from that time. Reading of the X-ray transmission image of the part S is started. And after the required time has elapsed,
When the horizontal seal portion S finishes passing through the X-ray irradiation position, the seal failure of the horizontal seal portion S is inspected based on the transmitted X-ray image read during that time. Therefore, even if it is a packaged item in which the boundary between the bags is unclear, or even if the contents storage area cannot be specified due to the uneven distribution or scattering of the contents, the transmission X-ray image of the lateral seal portion S is surely obtained. Can be obtained.

As the detection means, various types can be adopted according to the type and specification of the bag. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when an eye mark M representing a feed pitch for one bag is printed on each bag B and it can be detected by reflected light, it will be described later consisting of a projector and a light receiver. The eye mark M of each bag is detected by the eye mark sensor. In this case, the distance D from the eye mark M to the horizontal seal portion S and the width W of the horizontal seal portion S are set in advance. At the time when the eye mark M is detected, the horizontal seal portion S has a distance D from it.
The time when the lateral seal portion S reaches the X-ray irradiation position is L2 +
It can be obtained by dividing D by the conveyance speed.

In addition, when the eye mark M is not printed, for example, based on the strength of the ultrasonic wave that travels between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver and passes through the continuous product. Detecting the horizontal seal part. FIG. 3 shows the intensity of the ultrasonic wave that has passed through the package. As can be seen from this figure, when the bag is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, the attenuation factor of the ultrasonic wave is greatly different between the lateral seal portion S of the bag and the portion P containing the contents. By utilizing this phenomenon, the lateral seal portion is detected from the intensity of the ultrasonic wave that has passed through each bag. In this case, in order to prevent the ultrasonic wave irradiated from the transmitter toward the bag from returning to the transmitter again, the ultrasonic wave is applied obliquely to the lateral seal portion of the packaged product. Then, highly accurate detection can be performed without being affected by the reflected wave. Further, when the horizontal seal portion is detected by the ultrasonic sensor, as shown in FIG. 3, the transition from the content storage area P to the horizontal seal portion S and the horizontal seal portion S to the content storage area P are performed. Transition can be discriminated from the strength of the ultrasonic wave. Therefore, even if the width W of the horizontal seal portion S as described above is not set, the horizontal seal portion S is superfluous due to the strength of the signal level from the ultrasonic sensor. It is possible to detect the time point when the detection position of the acoustic wave sensor is reached and the time point when the detection position is passed. Therefore, the required time and time zone when the horizontal seal portion S passes the X-ray irradiation position can be obtained from the arrival time and the passage time.

According to the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the present invention, based on the signal from the detection means for detecting the seal portion of the packaged item, the time zone during which the detected seal portion passes the X-ray irradiation position is calculated and calculated. Since the quality of the seal part is determined based on the X-ray transmission image read in the selected time zone,
Even if the inspection object is a continuous package, it is possible to determine the quality of the seal portion of each bag.

Relationship diagram between detection position by detection means and X-ray irradiation position Relationship diagram between detection position and X-ray irradiation position when bag is marked with an eye mark The figure which shows the amount of ultrasonic transmission when the packaged product is irradiated with ultrasonic waves Front view of an X-ray inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention The perspective view which shows the arrangement structure of the principal part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Control block diagram of X-ray inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention Table showing an example of parameters stored in the HDD Flow chart showing an example of the operation of the X-ray inspection apparatus Explanatory drawing which concerns on other embodiment

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the X-ray inspection apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, a packaging machine (not shown) that manufactures the continuous package 2 is installed upstream of the X-ray inspection apparatus 1, and the continuous package 2 discharged from the packaging machine is transported to the pool box 3. X through unit 4
It is introduced into the inspection room 5 of the line inspection apparatus 1. The continuous package 2 introduced into the inspection chamber 5 is subjected to inspection for defective sealing and foreign matter inspection, and the continuous package 2 after the inspection is packed in a folded box (not shown) via a guide roller 6 on the downstream side. It is conveyed to a device or a winding device.

The pool box 3 is for adjusting a shift in operation timing between the downstream X-ray inspection apparatus 1 and the upstream packaging machine. For example, even if the X-ray inspection apparatus 1 is temporarily stopped, In the meantime, the continuous package 2 discharged from the packaging machine is stored in the pool box 3. Further, when the packaging machine is temporarily stopped, the continuous package 2 stored in the pool box 3 is transferred to the X-ray inspection apparatus 1.
Sent in.

The transport unit 4 includes a pair of upper and lower pinch rollers 41 and 42, two guide rollers 43 disposed on the downstream side and the upstream side thereof, and a motor 44 that rotates the pinch rollers 41 and 42 (see FIG. 6). And. The motor 44 is attached with an encoder 45 (see FIG. 6) for detecting the rotational speed, and the upper and lower pinch rollers 41, 42 are controlled to a predetermined rotational speed based on the rotational speed from the encoder 45. . As a result, the package 2 sandwiched between the pinch rollers 41 and 42 is pulled out from the pool box 3 at a constant speed and sent to the X-ray inspection apparatus 1.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the main part of the X-ray inspection apparatus 1. 4 and 5,
The X-ray inspection apparatus 1 includes a belt conveyor 7 spanned between an entrance 51 and an exit 52 of the examination room 5, an X-ray shielding curtain (not shown) disposed on the entrance 51 side and the exit 52 side, and a belt conveyor. 7 is disposed between the X-ray irradiation means 8 for irradiating X-rays into the examination room 5 and the upper and lower belts of the belt conveyor 7 to capture the X-rays transmitted through the continuous package 2. And a line sensor 9 that outputs an electric signal. The installation position of the line sensor 9 is the X-ray irradiation position. And these main parts are accommodated in the housing | casing 10 shown in FIG.
It is supported by four support legs 11. A touch panel 12 is provided at the upper front of the housing 10, and a main power switch 13 is provided at the lower part.

An ultrasonic sensor 20 (see FIG. 6) including an ultrasonic transmitter 21 and an ultrasonic receiver 22 that detect the seal portion S of the continuous package 2 is disposed on the inlet 51 side of the belt conveyor 7. The ultrasonic transmitter 21 and the ultrasonic receiver 22 are disposed opposite to each other with the continuous product 2 interposed therebetween. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter 21 is disposed obliquely above the continuous product 2. Ultrasonic receiver 2
2 is disposed below the packaged item 2, and the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic transmitter 21 is received by the ultrasonic receiver 22 across the central portion of the packaged item 2 from obliquely above to below. It is like that. In some cases, the ultrasonic sensor 20 may be disposed between the adjacent guide rollers 43.

Further, in this embodiment, an eye mark sensor 30 (see FIG. 6) including a projector 31 and a light receiver 32 for detecting the eye mark M in FIG. The eye mark M printed on the continuous package 2 sometimes comes to the back surface of the continuous package 2 being conveyed. In that case, it arrange | positions under the entrance 51 of the belt conveyor 7, or between the adjacent guide rollers 43. FIG.

As described above, the reason why the ultrasonic sensor 20 and the eye mark sensor 30 are provided as the detection means for detecting the seal portion is to selectively use them according to the form of the packaged item 2. Further, in the ultrasonic sensor 20, the position where the ultrasonic wave is applied to the package 2 is a detection position, and in the eye mark sensor 30, the position where the light hits the eye mark M is the detection position.

The belt conveyor 7 in FIG. 5 includes a roller 71 on the inlet 51 side, a roller 72 on the outlet 52 side,
A tension roller 73 disposed obliquely below the line sensor 9, a drive roller 74 provided close to the tension roller 73, and meandering between the tension roller 73 and the drive roller 74 in an S shape, and then the front and rear rollers An endless belt 70 spanned between 71 and 72 and a conveyor motor 75 (see FIG. 6) for rotating the drive roller 74 are provided. An encoder 76 (see FIG. 6) for detecting the number of rotations is attached to the conveyor motor 75. Based on the number of rotations from the encoder 76, the belt 75 moves in the direction of the arrow from the inlet 51 side to the outlet 52 side. It goes around at a constant speed.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the X-ray inspection apparatus 1. In this figure,
A computer 60 that controls the entire apparatus includes a CPU 61, a ROM 62, a RAM 63, and an HDD.
64 is installed. The CPU 61 executes various programs stored in the ROM 62 and the HDD 64. The HDD 64 stores an inspection program and a seal portion detection program to be described later, and also stores parameters to be described later input from the touch panel 12. Further, as the initial values, the travel distances L1 and L2 of the package 2 from the detection position of the ultrasonic sensor 20 or the eye mark sensor 30 to the X-ray irradiation position are stored, and the inspection results are also stored and accumulated in the HDD 64. It has become. The CPU 61 and these storage means 62 to 64 are connected to each other via an address bus or a data bus.

The computer 60 is connected to the X-ray irradiation means 8, the line sensor 9, the touch panel 12, the ultrasonic sensor 20, the eye mark sensor 30, the pinch roller motor 44, the encoder 45, the belt conveyor motor 75, and the encoder 76.

In the HDD 64 of the computer 60, an image generation module that develops a signal detected by the line sensor 9 into a two-dimensional transmission X-ray image, and a horizontal seal that inspects a seal failure of the horizontal seal portion based on the transmission X-ray image. An inspection module, a vertical seal inspection module that inspects a seal failure in the vertical seal portion, and a foreign matter inspection module that performs foreign matter inspection in an area in which contents are stored are stored as an inspection program. Then, the CPU 61 reads out these inspection programs from the HDD 64 and executes them to calculate a time zone from when the horizontal seal portion S that has passed the detection position reaches the X-ray irradiation position until it passes through it. The calculation means 65 and the determination means 66 for determining the quality of the horizontal seal of the packaged item 2 based on the transmitted X-ray image read in the calculated time zone function.

FIG. 7 shows an example of parameters stored in the HDD 64, and these parameters are set by operating the touch panel 12. In FIG. 7, it means that an eye mark sensor is used for soups and an ultrasonic sensor is used for seasonings.

Next, the operation of the X-ray inspection apparatus 1 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition,
For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the parameters shown in FIG. 7 are already registered by operating the touch panel 12. Further, it is assumed that the continuous package 2 is also pulled out from the transport unit 4 and set to the guide roller 6 on the downstream side, and the main power switch 13 is operated to be in a standby state. In this state, when the touch number of the package is input by operating the touch panel 12, the parameter corresponding to the call number is read from the HDD 64 and set (steps S1 and S2). Next, when the operation is started by operating the start key displayed on the touch panel 12 (step S3), the computer 61 activates the X-ray irradiation means 8 and X
Line irradiation is started, and subsequently, an output signal of the line sensor 9 is inputted and stored in the working area of the RAM 63. This is developed into a two-dimensional transmission X-ray image using the image generation module and displayed on the touch panel 12 (steps S4 and S5).

Subsequently, the output from the ultrasonic sensor 20 or the eye mark sensor 30 is monitored, and when the horizontal seal portion S is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 20 or when the eye mark M is detected by the eye mark sensor 30, Search for a timer that has timed up (step S6,
S7). This timer measures the time until the bag B to be detected reaches the X-ray irradiation position, and is constituted by a soft timer in the computer 61. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, when four bags B are interposed from the detection position to the X-ray irradiation position,
This soft timer is provided for each bag B.

And since there is no timer that has timed up for the first time, the top bag B that is the subject of inspection
Is started (step S8). Thus, each time a subsequent bag B is detected, the timer is started sequentially, but after the first timer expires,
In step S9, the timer that has timed up is restarted.

Subsequently, in step S10, the transmission X-ray image from the time point up is stored as a seal area, and when the seal portion S passes the X-ray irradiation position (step S11), the transmission X of the seal area stored so far is stored. Based on the line image, a seal failure inspection is performed (step S12). If a sealing failure is found, the transport of the continuous packaged product 2 is stopped when the corresponding bag B reaches a predetermined position on the downstream side. And after excising the bag made into the seal failure from the continuous package 2, the divided continuous package 2 is connected again and a driving | operation is restarted (step S13, S1).
4).

On the other hand, after the first bag B to be inspected reaches the X-ray irradiation position, the transmitted X-ray image other than the seal area is specified as the content storage area P until the next timer expires. Then, the foreign substance inspection is executed for the storage area P (step S15). And if a foreign material is found, similarly, the conveyance of the continuous package 2 is stopped and the corresponding bag is excised from the continuous package 2.

FIG. 9 shows an example for making the boundary between the seal portion S of each bag B of the continuous package 2 and the content storage area P clearer, and a plurality of eccentric rollers arranged in an inclined direction. 80, by conveying the continuous packaged product 2 to each other, each bag B is vibrated, thereby causing the contents b of each bag B to be unevenly distributed below the storage area P, and the boundary with the subsequent seal portion S. Is made to stand out more clearly. If it does in this way, as a detection means which detects a seal | sticker part, the roller etc. which contact the continuous package 2 and detect the level | step difference of the seal | sticker part S can be used, for example, and in a transmission X-ray image In addition, the seal area and the contents storage area P can be clearly separated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 X-ray inspection apparatus 2 Consolidation goods 8 X-ray irradiation means 9 Line sensor 20 Ultrasonic sensor (detection means)
30 Eye mark sensor (detection means)
65 Calculation means 66 Discrimination means

Claims (1)

An X-ray inspection apparatus for inspecting the sealed portion of a packaged product by irradiating the packaged product with X-rays while conveying the packaged product in which the sealed bags are continuously connected at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction. And a detection means for detecting a seal portion of the continuous package installed upstream of a position where the continuous package is irradiated with X-rays, and a seal detected based on a detection signal from the detection means. A calculating means for calculating a time zone during which the portion passes the X-ray irradiation position, and a discriminating means for discriminating a seal failure of the packaged goods based on the transmitted X-ray image of the calculated time zone. X-ray inspection equipment.