JPH0285704A - Gap measuring instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To measure the width of a gap in an object to be measured from a relatively moving object by providing a gap detecting means, an image pickup means, and an arithmetic means. CONSTITUTION:A gap detecting means 1 is provided almost right above rails 7 and generates a detect signal which detects a gap between the rails 7. A stroboscope controller 4 causes a stroboscope light source 2, arranged so that the light emitted from the source 2 can irradiate the rails 7, to emit light upon receiving the detect signal. The same detect signal as that sent to the controller 4 is also sent to an image pickup means controller 5 and an image pickup means 3, arranged so that it can be focused on the upper surface of the rails 7, picks up the image of the gap between the rails 7 under the control of the controller 5. The information of the image picked up by the means 3 is sent to an arithmetic means 6 through the controller 5 and the means 6 calculates the width of the gap by performing arithmetic operation on the image information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Application in the CA Industry] The present invention relates to a gap measuring device that measures the width of a gap between two relatively moving objects, from one object to the other object. The present invention relates to a gap measuring device suitable for measuring the width of a gap at a joint between rails laid on the ground from a railway vehicle.

[Conventional technology] In order to accommodate the expansion and contraction caused by temperature, railway rails
A gap of a certain width is provided at the joint. Managing this gap is extremely important for safe vehicle driving.
It is necessary to monitor all of this, but in the past, humans
The width was measured by applying a feeler gauge to each one.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the conventional measurement method as described above, each gap is
There have been problems in that it takes time and effort to make one measurement, and it also takes time to move from one measurement point to the next, requiring a great deal of effort.

This invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a gap measuring device that can measure the gap between a running vehicle and a rail, that is, a gap measuring device that can reliably measure the width of the gap between a relatively moving object and a test object. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gap measuring device that can measure the gap with high accuracy.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a gap measuring device for measuring the width of a gap in a test object (rail) from a relatively moving object (vehicle), and a gap detecting means for detecting the gap; The above-mentioned problems are achieved by comprising an imaging means that takes an image of the gap based on a signal from the gap detection means, and a calculation means that calculates the width of the gap from the image obtained by the imaging means. .

In addition, in order to accurately detect the gap while avoiding the influence of vibrations of the object (vehicle) on which the measuring device is mounted, an irradiation optical system that irradiates light onto the test object (rail) and its reflection are required as the gap detection means. It is preferable to include a light receiving optical system that receives light, and to arrange the entrance planes including the optical axes of both optical systems perpendicular to the width direction of the gap (direction of relative movement).

Furthermore, in order to reduce the amount of image distortion and obtain a clearer image, a flash illumination means that emits light based on the signal from the gap detection means is provided, and the imaging means is equipped with a flash illumination means that emits light based on the signal from the gap detection means. It is desirable to have a shutter that operates based on the

[Function] The gap measuring device according to the present invention is mounted on an object that moves relative to the test object, and while the gap detection means detects the gap of the test object, the imaging means detects the gap based on the detection signal. It operates to capture an image of the gap. For this reason, even if there are many gaps in the test object at random and the relative movement speed is high, it is possible to reliably image all the gaps and calculate the width of the gap (width of the gap) using arithmetic means from the obtained images. can do.

Gap detection can be performed, for example, by irradiating light onto the test object and receiving the reflected light, taking advantage of the fact that the reflectance of light differs between the surface of the test object and the gap.

At this time, if the entrance plane including the optical axes of both the irradiation optical system and the reception optical system are arranged perpendicular to the direction of relative movement, the position of the irradiation light beam will remain in the gap even if the height of the measuring device changes. Since the gap does not change in the width direction, the gap can be detected accurately.
The imaging means can be operated at more appropriate timing.

Note that the gap between the test object does not necessarily have to be a space, and even if it is a gap created by changing the material or color of the test object by a predetermined width area, it can be similarly detected by the above-mentioned gap detection means. Needless to say, it can be detected.

In addition, as the imaging means, for example, a CCD camera, which can start operating at any time upon receiving a signal from the detection means, can be used, but it is possible to use an imaging means that can start operating at any time upon receiving a signal from the detection means. By using a flash illumination means such as a strobe that can emit strong light, it is possible to obtain a still image with a small amount of flash corresponding to the light emission time of the flash illumination means, and it is possible to measure the width of the gap more accurately. becomes possible.

By using the above-mentioned flash illumination means and the shutter of the imaging means together, it is possible to reduce the amount of light that enters the imaging means other than the flash illumination means' light emission time, and accurate measurements can be made even when measurements are taken outdoors. I'll come.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and the entire gap measuring device is mounted on the lower part of the vehicle 8 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the wheels 8a.

The gap detection means 1 is arranged almost directly above the rail 7, which is a test object, and generates a detection signal when detecting a gap between the rails. In response to this detection signal, the strobe controller 4 causes a strobe light source 2 (flash illumination means) arranged to illuminate the upper surface of the rail 7 to emit light.

The same detection signal sent to the strobe controller 4 is also sent to the imaging means controller 5, and the imaging means 3 arranged so as to be focused on the upper surface of the rail 7 is controlled by the imaging means controller 5 to capture an image of the gap. Take an image.

Information on the captured image is sent to the calculation means 6 via the imaging means controller 5, and the calculation means 6 calculates the width of the gap by performing calculations on the image information.

Here, it will be explained that in this embodiment, a still image with a small amount of deflection can be obtained even when the vehicle 8 equipped with the gap measuring device travels at high speed.

Assuming that the speed of the traveling vehicle 8 is 100 Km/h, when trying to obtain an image with a pre-measurement weight of less than 11 ml when photographing directly below from this vehicle, the imaging surface of the imaging means 3 is 36 μm.
It needs to be 5ec (1/28,0005ec) or less.

Currently, commonly available imaging devices (such as CCD
The shutter speed of the camera is approximately 1/10,000 Sec, and when the vehicle 8 is traveling at high speed, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient still image just by operating the shutter. On the other hand, the emission time of the strobe light source is 10 μ5 ec (1
/100,0005 ec), which is much shorter than the shutter operating time.

Therefore, in this embodiment, during the operation of the imaging means 3 (usually 1
The strobe light source 2 is emitted in the field l/605ec) to instantaneously irradiate the rail gap with strong light, thereby obtaining a still image with a small amount of flash corresponding to the flashing time of the strobe light source 2. . According to this embodiment, even when the vehicle travels at a high speed of 1008 m/h, the amount of deflection is very small, about 0.2 to 0.3 mm, and the rail gap can be measured with high accuracy.

Note that when the gap measurement is performed outdoors as in this embodiment, the amount of light entering the imaging means 3 from the outside while the imaging means 3 is operating outside of the flash light emission time of the strobe light source 2 cannot be ignored. For this reason, the vicinity where the imaging means 3 is arranged is shielded from light to reduce the influence of sunlight as much as possible, and the ti imaging means 3
It is also desirable to use the shutter provided in the

For example, using the imaging means 3 with a scanning time of 1/60 Sec,
If a 1/600 Sec shutter is also used and the strobe light source 2 emits light while the shutter is open, the influence of the amount of light from the outside can be suppressed to 1/10 compared to the case where no shutter is used.

Regarding the light emission timing of the above-mentioned strobe light source 2, since the gaps between the rails 7 are random, it is difficult to set the light emission time in advance. Since the strobe light source 2 is caused to emit light based on the above-mentioned information, and at the same time images of the gaps are captured by the imaging means 3, images of all gaps can be captured without exception even when the vehicle is traveling at high speed. Therefore, the imaging means must be one that can operate at any time based on the gap detection signal (for example, a frame transfer type CCD).
camera).

If the light emission timing of the strobe light source 2 is not adjusted based on the detection signal, the speed 100 +a/
A vehicle 8 traveling at high speed at a speed of 1 scanning time (1
/605ec), so for example, if the field of view of the imaging means 3 is limited to about 200 mm in order to obtain sufficient spatial resolution of the image, the imaging means 3
Even if the strobe light source 2 is operated continuously and the strobe light source 2 is made to emit light every time a scan is started, there will be gaps where no images are taken.

The method of capturing images in the imaging means 3 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
This will be explained with reference to FIG. As mentioned above, it is necessary to consider the speed of the traveling vehicle 8 and the scanning time of the imaging means 3. To capture the image 7'' of the rail 7, a two-dimensional sensor 9 as shown in FIG. 3 can be used, for example, but a one-dimensional sensor 10 as shown in FIG. 4 can be used instead of the two-dimensional sensor 9. For example, the scanning time of the imaging means 3 is reduced to several hundredths.

Therefore, when capturing an image using a one-dimensional sensor, it is possible to construct a gap measuring device without using a strobe light source as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Second
In the figure, the positional relationship between the rail 7, the vehicle 8, and the gap measuring device is the same as that in the embodiment shown in FIG. The image capturing means 3 starts an image capturing operation of the gap in response to a signal from the image capturing controller 5, and information from the captured image is sent to the calculation means 6 via the image capturing controller 5, where the width of the gap is calculated. Ru.

When using a one-dimensional sensor, a problem arises when the width of one gap varies depending on the measurement position, but in such a case, as shown in FIG. This can be handled by using multiple . However, as shown in Figure 3, the amount of information that can be obtained is larger when the image is captured using the two-dimensional sensor 9, so in cases where the shape of the gap is complex, it is better to use the two-dimensional sensor. preferable. It goes without saying that even when a two-dimensional sensor is used, a configuration as shown in FIG. 2 without using a strobe light source can be used when the vehicle travels at low speed.

Next, FIGS. 6 and 7 regarding the gap detection means.

This will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 6, the gap detection means 1 consists of an irradiation optical system 1a that irradiates light onto the rail 7 and a light receiving optical system 1b that receives reflected light from the rail 7. The light-receiving part of the detector 14 of the rail surface and the rail surface and the light-receiving optical system 1b are located in a plane perpendicular to the plane (incidence plane) containing the optical axes of both optical systems, that is, perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. They have a conjugate relationship within the plane. In the gap detection means 1 having such a configuration, when the irradiated light crosses the gap between the rails, the intensity of the reflected light temporarily decreases, thereby detecting the gap.

In the irradiation optical system 1a, the light emitted from the light source 11, such as a semiconductor laser, becomes a parallel beam of light at the lens 12a, and then passes through the cylindrical lens 13a to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape, as shown in FIG. The top of the rail 7 is irradiated in a slit shape with light extending long and thin at right angles to the direction in which the rail extends. In this way, by making the irradiation light beam into a slit shape, even if there is a scratch on a part of the rail 7, it becomes easy to distinguish between the rail surface and the gap.

The reflected light and scattered light from the rail 7 are transmitted to the light receiving optical system 1b.
The light source 1 passes through the cylindrical lens 13b, and then the light source 1
Only light corresponding to one wavelength passes through the wavelength filter 15. The light transmitted through the wavelength filter 15 is focused by a lens 12b and sent to a detector 14 such as a photodiode.
incident on . In this way, by disposing the wavelength filter 15 in the light receiving optical system 1b (the position is not limited), it is possible to remove the chromatic tube of light from the outside world.

Here, the above-mentioned irradiation optical system 1a and light receiving optical system 1b are arranged such that the entrance planes including the optical axes of both optical systems are perpendicular to the direction of relative movement (width direction of the gap). By arranging the optical system in this way, even if the vehicle vibrates during measurement and the height of the light source changes, the slit-shaped irradiation light beam 1
6 only deviates in the vertical direction on the paper of FIG. 8 and does not deviate in the width direction of the gap, so the gap detection timing will not be accelerated or delayed due to vibration. In other words, all gaps will be imaged at appropriate positions.

If there is little vibration or the field of view of the imaging means is wide, set the irradiation optical system and the light receiving optical system so that the entrance plane is parallel to the direction of relative movement (direction along the rail) as shown in Figure 7. To be placed in - also come. Even when the gap detection means shown in FIG. 7 is used, the slit-shaped light is irradiated with light elongated in the direction perpendicular to the rail extension direction, as shown in FIG. 8, as in the case of the gap detection means shown in FIG. It is preferable to do so.

In the above explanation, an optical type was shown as the gap detection means, but the method is not limited to this, and includes ultrasonic waves, magnetic fields,
Gap detection means using other methods such as capacitance can also be used.

It would be more preferable if the rail temperature could also be measured at the same time as the gap measurement, but as shown in Figure 6, the radiation thermometer 2
By mounting the 0 on a running vehicle, it is possible to measure the temperature of the rail in a non-contact manner in parallel with the gap measurement. At this time, since the upper surface of the rail 7 is almost a mirror surface, the emissivity is almost too large to measure, so measurements should be taken from an oblique direction to measure the radiation from the side of the rail 7, as shown in Figure 6. It is necessary to do so.

The above has been about rail gap measurement, but
The gap measuring device according to the present invention is not only used for such applications, but can also be widely used to measure the width of a gap between two objects that are moving relative to each other from one of the objects to the other. It is something. As in the above example, when measuring the gap in a stationary test object (rail) from an object (vehicle) in relative motion, for example, one after another on a conveyor belt in a production line, It can also be applied to cases such as automatically measuring the width of a specific gap in flowing parts.

[Effects of the Invention] In the present invention, while detecting the gap, an image of the gap is captured based on the detection signal, and the width of the gap is calculated from the obtained image. Even if the distance between the object and the test object is random, the gap between the relatively moving object and the test object can be reliably and accurately measured.

In addition, by operating the flash illumination means and the shutter of the imaging means based on the gap detection signal, even when the relative movement speed is high, a clear still image with a small amount of deflection can be obtained, and the gap can be detected more accurately. Width can be measured.

Furthermore, by arranging the gap detection means consisting of the irradiation optical system and the light receiving optical system so that the plane of incidence is perpendicular to the direction of relative movement, the object equipped with the gap measurement device can be photographed vertically. Even when the gap is detected, the gap can always be detected at the appropriate timing. That is, it is not imaged due to vibration (
In other words, it is possible to prevent gaps (that are not measured) from appearing.

If such a gap measuring device is installed on a running vehicle and used to measure rail joint gaps, it is possible to measure many gaps with high precision in a short time, making rail management much more efficient than before. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment, and FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are explanations explaining a method of capturing images by the imaging means. Figure, 6th
7 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the gap detection means, FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing another configuration of the gap detection means shown in FIG. 6, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the irradiation light from the gap detection means. [Description of symbols of main parts] l... Gap detection means 2... Strobe light source 3... Imaging means 4... Strobe controller 5... Imaging means controller 6... Calculating means 7... Rail 8... Vehicle 9... Two-dimensional centimeter 10... One-dimensional sensor 11... Light 14... Detector 15... Wavelength filter 20... Radiation thermometer

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A gap measuring device that measures the width of a gap in a test object from a relatively moving object, including a gap detection means for detecting the gap, and an image of the gap based on a signal from the gap detection means. 1. A gap measuring device comprising: an imaging means for taking an image of the gap; and an arithmetic means for calculating the width of the gap from the image obtained by the imaging means. (2) emits light based on a signal from the gap detection means;
The gap measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising flash illumination means for illuminating the test object. (3) The gap detection means includes an irradiation optical system that irradiates light onto the test object and a light reception optical system that receives reflected light from the test object of the irradiation light, and the incidence includes the optical axis of both optical systems. 2. The gap measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the surface is arranged perpendicular to the direction of the relative movement. (4) The gap measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means includes a shutter that operates based on a signal from the gap detection means.