Pin hole inspection apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815429-B2
Application number	US-202217752171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	Apr 1, 2022
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are a pin hole inspection apparatus and method for determining whether or not the vacuum-packed state of a Front Opening Shipping Box (FOSB) vacuum-packed with film paper is defective. The pin hole inspection apparatus includes a receiving unit configured such that the FOSB vacuum-packed with the film paper is received thereon and supported thereby, an adsorption unit vacuum-adsorbed onto a target part of the film paper, configured to surround the FOSB received on and supported by the receiving unit, so as to pull the film paper, a displacement measurement unit configured to measure a degree of swelling of the film paper pulled through the adsorption unit, and a processing unit configured to determine whether or not a pin hole is generated by comparing a measurement displacement value acquired through the displacement measurement unit with a pre-stored reference displacement value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pin hole inspection apparatus for determining whether or not a vacuum-packed state of a Front Opening Shipping Box (FOSB) vacuum-packed with film paper is defective, the pin hole inspection apparatus comprising:
a receiving unit configured such that the FOSB vacuum-packed with the film paper is received thereon and supported thereby;
an adsorption unit vacuum-adsorbed onto a target part of the film paper configured to surround the FOSB, received on and supported by the receiving unit, so as to pull the film paper;
a displacement measurement unit configured to measure a degree of swelling of the film paper pulled through the adsorption unit; and
a processing unit configured to determine whether or not a pin hole is generated by comparing a measurement displacement value, acquired through the displacement measurement unit, with a pre-stored reference displacement value.

2. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving unit comprises:
a tray configured such that the FOSB is received thereon; and
alignment means configured to apply pressure to a circumferential part of the FOSB received on the tray so as to locate the FOSB at a regular position within the tray.

3. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adsorption unit comprises:
a cylinder configured to be moved forwards and rearwards toward any one of five surfaces comprising four side surfaces of a circumferential part and an upper surface of the FOSB;
a vacuum adsorption pad coupled to a front end of the cylinder; and
a vacuum creation means connected to the vacuum adsorption pad so as to create a vacuum state in the vacuum adsorption pad or to release the vacuum state,
wherein, when the cylinder is moved forwards, the vacuum adsorption pad is adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper, the vacuum creation means creates the vacuum state in a coupling part between the vacuum adsorption pad and the film paper, and the cylinder is moved rearwards at a set pressure for a set time so that the film paper is pulled rearwards by adsorptive power of the vacuum adsorption pad.

4. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the displacement measurement unit comprises:
a measurement plate formed at one side of the front end of the cylinder; and
a displacement sensor configured to measure a displacement up to the measurement plate when the cylinder is moved forwards and the vacuum adsorption pad is adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper, and a displacement up to the measurement plate when the cylinder is moved rearwards at the set pressure for the set time and the film paper swells, and to transmit measured displacement values to the processing unit.

5. A pin hole inspection apparatus for determining whether or not a vacuum-packed state of a Front Opening Shipping Box (FOSB) vacuum-packed with film paper is defective, the pin hole inspection apparatus comprising:
a transfer unit configured to transfer the FOSB;
ports installed in a progress direction of the transfer unit;
adsorption units installed in the ports and vacuum-adsorbed onto a target part of the film paper, configured to surround the FOSB located in the ports, so as to pull the film paper;
displacement measurement units installed in the ports and configured to measure degrees of swelling of the film paper pulled through the adsorption units; and
a processing unit configured to determine whether or not a pin hole is generated by comparing a measurement displacement value acquired through the displacement measurement units with a pre-stored reference displacement value.

6. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:
the ports are provided in plural, and each of the adsorption units is provided in a corresponding one of the ports; and
the adsorption units are configured such that each of the adsorption units is vacuum-adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper configured to surround the FOSB located in the corresponding one of the ports, and pulls the target part of the film paper at a set pressure for a set time.

7. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:
each of the displacement measurement units is installed in a first port and a final port installed in the progress direction of the transfer unit; and
a first displacement value is measured under a state in which a corresponding one of the adsorption units is vacuum-adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper in the first port, a second displacement value is measured after the target part of the film paper is pulled at the set pressure for the set time under a state in which a corresponding another of the adsorption units is vacuum-adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper in the final port, and the measurement displacement value is acquired from the first displacement value and the second displacement value.

8. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each of the adsorption units comprises:
a cylinder installed in a corresponding one of the ports, and configured to be moved forwards and rearwards toward any one of five surfaces comprising four side surfaces of a circumferential part and an upper surface of the FOSB;
a vacuum adsorption pad coupled to a front end of the cylinder; and
a vacuum creation means connected to the vacuum adsorption pad so as to create a vacuum state in the vacuum adsorption pad or to release the vacuum state,
wherein, when the cylinder is moved forwards, the vacuum adsorption pad is adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper, the vacuum creation means creates the vacuum state in a coupling part between the vacuum adsorption pad and the film paper, and the cylinder is moved rearwards at a set pressure for a set time so that the film paper is pulled rearwards by adsorptive power of the vacuum adsorption pad.

9. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the displacement measurement units comprises:
a measurement plate formed at one side of the front end of the cylinder; and
a displacement sensor configured to measure a displacement up to the measurement plate when the cylinder is moved forwards and the vacuum adsorption pad is adsorbed onto the target part of the film paper, and a displacement up to the measurement plate when the cylinder is moved rearwards at the set pressure for the set time and the film paper swells, and to transmit measured displacement values to the processing unit.

10. The pin hole inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adsorption unit and the displacement unit are configured to be movable in at least any one of an X-axis direction or a Y-axis direction.

11. A pin hole inspection method for determining whether or not a vacuum-packed state of a Front Opening Shipping Box (FOSB) vacuum-packed with film paper is defective, the pin hole inspection method comprising:
aligning the FOSB vacuum-packed with the film paper through alignment means;
swelling the film paper by pulling the film paper through an adsorption unit vacuum-adsorbed onto a target part of the film paper configured to surround the FOSB;
measuring displacements by measuring degrees of swelling of the pulled film paper through a displacement measurement unit; and
performing pin hole inspection by determining whether or not a pin hole is generated by comparing a measurement displacement value, acquired in the measuring the displacements, with a pre-stored reference displacement value.

12. The pin hole inspection method according to claim 11 , wherein the reference displacement value is a displacement value acquired by measuring a

Assignees

• Sk Siltron Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Chang Rak
• Kang Jin Ho

Classifications

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/19

  closed carriers · CPC title

• G01M3/363 Primary

  the structure being removably mounted in a test cell · CPC title

• G01M3/36 Primary

  by detecting change in dimensions of the structure being tested · CPC title

• G01M3/34

  by testing the possibility of maintaining the vacuum in containers, e.g. in can-testing machines · CPC title