X-ray product quality online inspection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10078056-B2
Application number	US-201514901970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

An X-ray product quality online inspection device of the present invention comprises: a distributed X-ray source having a plurality of targets and being able to generate X-rays for irradiating an inspected product from the plurality of targets in a predetermined sequence; a detector for receiving the X-rays generated by the distributed X-ray source and outputting a signal representing characteristics of the received X-rays; a transport device which is located between the distributed X-ray source and the detector for carrying the inspected product to pass through an X-ray radiation region, wherein the transport device is arranged as a continuous transport mechanism which matches a production line of the inspected product; and a power supply and control device, which is used to supply power to and control the X-ray product quality online inspection device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray product quality online inspection device, comprising:
a distributed X-ray source having a plurality of targets, wherein the distributed X-ray source is able to generate X-rays for irradiating an inspected product from the plurality of targets in a predetermined sequence;
a detector for receiving the X-rays generated by the distributed X-ray source and outputting a signal representing characteristics of the received X-rays;
a transport device which is located between the distributed X-ray source and the detector for carrying the inspected product to pass through an X-ray radiation region, wherein the transport device is arranged as a continuous transport mechanism which matches a production line for the inspected product; and
a power supply and control device, which is used to supply power to and control the X-ray product quality online inspection device,
wherein the detector is arranged in a form of a detector array and number of rows of the detector array is set based on a moving speed of the inspected product carried by the transport device, and amount of the inspected products per unit time transported by the transport device is the same as amount of the inspected products transported by the production line,
wherein the power supply and control device further forms characteristic information of the inspected product according to the signal from the detector, and provides an inspection and analysis result of the inspected product according to the characteristic information, and
wherein the X-ray product quality online inspection device further comprises a sorting device, which is located downstream of the distributed X-ray source and the detector in a moving direction of the inspected product, and is used to sort the inspected product according to the inspection and analysis result from the power supply and control device, under the control of the power supply and control device.

2. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply and control means determines whether the signal from the detector falls within a predetermined threshold range, and the sorting means sorts out the inspected product when it is determined that the signal from the detector does not fall within the threshold range.

3. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting means sorts out the inspected product in a case where the inspection and analysis result from the power supply and control means indicates that the characteristic information of the inspected product is inconsistent with standard characteristic information.

4. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply and control means further comprises an image construction subsystem, which is used to receive the signal from the detector and to form a multi-view image or a three-dimensional image expressing the characteristic information of the inspected product.

5. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the power supply and control means further comprises an image analysis subsystem, which is used to compare and analyze the inspected image obtained by the image construction subsystem and an image of a standard product according to a predetermined rule, and
the inspected product is sorted according to the comparison and analysis result of the image analysis subsystem.

6. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 5 , wherein the power supply and control means further comprises a display and operation subsystem for displaying at least one of: operating state of the X-ray product quality online inspection device, an inspection image of the inspected product, the inspection and analysis result, and inputting of control instructions.

7. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a shielding structure, which encloses the X-ray radiation region and shields stray X-rays.

8. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 7 , wherein the shield structure comprises lead or tungsten.

9. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 wherein all the inspected products produced on the production line per unit time can be carried by the transport device to continuously pass through the X-ray product quality online inspection device within a unit time to finish the inspection.

10. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 9 , wherein the transport device itself is a part of a factory production line.

11. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of targets of the distributed X-ray source are arranged in straight line, polyline, arc or the combination thereof.

12. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein an arrangement direction of the plurality of targets of the distributed X-ray source is perpendicular to the moving direction of the inspected product.

13. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector is one of a flat panel detector having numerous detection units, a detector having a plurality of detection units in a one-dimensional linear array, and a detector having a plurality of detection units in a two-dimensional matrix array, and is able to receive the X-rays at a plurality of positions at the same time.

14. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein a sum of a field angle of the X-rays from the distributed X-ray source to any point on the inspected product and a field angle of the X-rays from the point to the detector is more than 180 degrees.

15. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the distributed X-ray source is a dual-energy X-ray source.

16. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein a time period during which the plurality of targets at different positions of the distributed X-ray source sequentially emits the X-rays is at a level of microsecond.

17. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of targets of the distributed X-ray source are arranged in an arc shape or a spiral shape along the moving direction of the inspected product.

18. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector is a dual-energy detector.

19. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting device is mounted to the transport device.

20. The X-ray product quality online inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting device is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical grip, a pushing device, and a path selection device.

Assignees

• Nuctech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tang Huaping
• Chen Zhiqiang
• Li Yuanjing
• Liu Zhuoyan
• Wang Yonggang
• Qin Zhanfeng

Classifications

• B07C2501/0009

  Sorting of fasteners, e.g. screws, nuts, bolts · CPC title

• G01N23/04 Primary

  and forming images of the material · CPC title

• B07C5/3416

  according to radiation transmissivity, e.g. for light, x-rays, particle radiation (detecting hidden objects G01V) · CPC title