Article inspection verification system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287347-B2
Application number	US-202318187913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2022
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

There is provided an article inspection verification system provided in an article inspection line including a plurality of article inspection devices that determine whether an inspection target article is a non-defective product or a defective product. The article inspection verification system includes physical effect generators that generate a physical effect that causes the inspection target article to be determined to be the defective product while the inspection target article passes through inspection sections corresponding each of article inspection devices, and a physical effect control unit that stores generation conditions of the physical effect by the physical effect generators and drives the physical effect generators in accordance with the generation conditions during an operation of the article inspection line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article inspection verification system provided in an article inspection line including at least one article inspection device that inspects a quality state of an inspection target article passing through an inspection section on an article conveyance path and determines whether the inspection target article is a non-defective product or a defective product based on a predetermined determination condition, the system comprising:
a physical effect generator that is attached to the article inspection device and generates a physical effect that causes the article inspection device to determine that the inspection target article passing through the inspection section is the defective product; and
a physical effect control unit that stores a generation condition for the physical effect by the physical effect generator and drives the physical effect generator during an operation of the article inspection line in accordance with the generation condition,
wherein the article inspection line includes a first article inspection device and a second article inspection device having different inspection types, the first and second article inspection devices functioning as the article inspection device, and
wherein one of the article inspection devices is an X-ray inspection device that irradiates an inspection target article passing through the inspection section on the article conveyance path with X-rays, and performs article inspection based on rejection of transmitted X-ray amount,
wherein the physical effect generator includes a first physical effect generator attached to the first article inspection device, a second physical effect generator attached to the second article inspection device, and a test piece movement mechanism that enters and retreats a test piece having a predetermined X-ray transmission characteristic into and from the inspection section in accordance with a control signal from the physical effect control unit.

2. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a verification information storage unit that stores verification information indicating whether or not a defect detection operation of the article inspection device is normal, when the article inspection device determines the inspection target article passing through the inspection section within a specific period during the operation to be the defective product by the physical effect generator driving based on the generation condition.

3. The article inspection verification system according to claim 2 , wherein:
one of the article inspection devices is a metal detection device that detects a metal component in the inspection target article, and
one of the physical effect generators is a magnetic field fluctuation generator that fluctuates a magnetic field in the inspection section in accordance with a control signal from the physical effect control unit.

4. The article inspection verification system according to claim 2 , wherein:
one of the article inspection devices is a weighing device that weighs the inspection target article, and
one of the physical effect generators is a loading/unloading mechanism that adds or/and removes a weight load to or/and from a weight of the inspection target article in the inspection section in accordance with a control signal from the physical effect control unit.

5. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , wherein
the article inspection line includes, on a downstream side of the inspection section on the article conveyance path, a defective product rejection mechanism that moves the inspection target article determined to be the defective product in a direction away from a conveyance route of the non-defective product on the article conveyance path, and
the article inspection verification system further comprises:
a return conveyance mechanism that is provided between the inspection section and a defective product rejection section by the defective product rejection mechanism and moves the inspection target article to an upstream side of the article conveyance path while bypassing the inspection section, the inspection target article being determined to be the defective product by the physical effect from the physical effect generator when passing through the inspection section.

6. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , wherein the physical effect control unit drives the physical effect generator with respect to at least one of the first physical effect generator attached to the first article inspection device and the second physical effect generator attached to the second article inspection device for a specific inspection target article.

7. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first defective product rejection mechanism that moves the inspection target article determined to be a defective product by the first article inspection device in a direction away from a conveyance route of the non-defective product on the article conveyance path, and a second defective product rejection mechanism that moves the inspection target article determined to be a defective product by the second article inspection device in the direction away from the conveyance route of the non-defective product on the article conveyance path, the first defective product rejection mechanism and the second defective product rejection mechanism being provided on a downstream side of the inspection section on the article conveyance path; and
an operation detection sensor that detects operation states of the first defective product rejection mechanism and the second defective product rejection mechanism.

8. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , wherein:
one of the article inspection devices is a metal detection device that detects a metal component in the inspection target article, and
one of the physical effect generators is a magnetic field fluctuation generator that fluctuates a magnetic field in the inspection section in accordance with a control signal from the physical effect control unit.

9. The article inspection verification system according to claim 8 , wherein the physical effect control unit variably sets an output condition for the control signal to the physical effect generator in accordance with a type of the inspection target article.

10. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , wherein:
one of the article inspection devices is a weighing device that weighs the inspection target article, and
one of the physical effect generators is a loading/unloading mechanism that adds or/and removes a weight load to or/and from a weight of the inspection target article in the inspection section in accordance with a control signal from the physical effect control unit.

11. The article inspection verification system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
wherein the physical effect control unit variably sets an output condition for the control signal to the physical effect generator in accordance with a type of the inspection target article.

12. The article inspection verification system according to claim 1 , wherein the physical effect control unit variably sets an output condition for the control signal to the physical effect generator in accordance with a type of the inspection target article.

13. An article inspection verification system provided in an article inspection line including at least one article inspection device that inspects a quality state of an inspection target article passing through an inspection section on an article conveyance p

Assignees

• Anritsu Corp

Inventors

• Asai Eiji
• Kikuchi Toshiaki
• Ito Takamasa
• Ozawa Mami
• Inagaki Tatsuya

Classifications

• B65B1/46

  Check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles · CPC title

• G01N23/18

  Investigating the presence of flaws defects or foreign matter · CPC title

• B07C5/3416 Primary

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

• B07C5/344

  according to electric or electromagnetic properties {(sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00)} · CPC title

• B07C5/18

  using a single stationary weighing mechanism · CPC title