Welding portion inspection system and the control method of inspection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759612-B2
Application number	US-201414523509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A welding portion inspection system includes a sensing head, and first and second electrodes that are disposed a predetermined distance from each other at one side of the sensing head, where front end portions of the first and second electrodes contact both sides of a welding portion to apply current such that a temperature of the welding portion is heated, and an infrared camera is disposed on the sensing head and detects a temperature distribution of the welding portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding portion inspection system, comprising:
a sensing head;
a first electrode and a second electrode that are disposed a predetermined distance from each other at one side of the sensing head, and front end portions of the first and second electrodes contact both sides of a welding portion to apply current such that a temperature of the welding portion is heated;
an infrared camera disposed on the sensing head, the infrared camera detecting a temperature distribution of the welding portion; and
an elastic member that elastically pushes the first electrode or the second electrode toward a surface of the welding portion, and the first electrode or the second electrode is disposed on the sensing head so as to compress or decompress the elastic member depending on a surface height of the welding portion,
wherein one of the first and second electrodes applies current to one side of the welding portion and the other of the first and second electrodes applies current to the other side of the welding portion.

2. The welding portion inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode or the second electrode is movably disposed on the sensing head such that a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is adjustable, and the infrared camera is movably disposed corresponding to a position of the welding portion.

3. The welding portion inspection system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a linear guide that respectively guides the movement of the first electrode, the second electrode, or the infrared camera on the sensing head;
an electrode transfer motor configured to move the first electrode and the second electrode along the linear guide; and
a camera transfer motor configured to move the infrared camera along the linear guide.

4. The welding portion inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a robot that is configured to move a robot control portion to a predetermined position near the welding portion;
an inspection device control portion that controls current/voltage that is supplied to the first electrode and the second electrode and controls the infrared camera; and
a display portion that displays an infrared image that is detected by the infrared camera.

5. The welding portion inspection system of claim 4 , wherein the electrode control portion applies power to the first electrode and the second electrode such that a temperature of the welding portion reaches a predetermined temperature range, and
the inspection device control portion takes the infrared image of the welding portion through the infrared camera after a predetermined time elapses from a point that the power is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The welding portion inspection system of claim 4 , further comprising an image analyzer that analyzes the infrared image that is detected by the infrared camera.

7. The welding portion inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode guide that is disposed on the sensing head and a rear end portion of the first electrode or the second electrode is inserted into the electro guide,
wherein the elastic member is disposed in the electrode guide and elastically pushes the first electrode or the second electrode.

8. The welding portion inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising a case that is disposed on the sensing head and is configured to reduce light infiltration to the infrared camera.

9. A control method of a welding portion inspection system, comprising:
making a first electrode and a second electrode contact one side and the other side of a welding portion;
applying current such that the current flows to the first electrode, the welding portion, and the second electrode;
obtaining an infrared image of a shooting range including the welding portion; and
determining a condition of the welding portion by analyzing the infrared image,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode elastically contact a surface of a panel having the welding portion through an elastic member pushing the first electrode and the second electrode toward a surface of the welding portion.

10. The control method of a welding portion inspection system of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode corresponding to the welding portion; and
adjusting a position of the infrared camera corresponding to the welding portion, in the step of obtaining the infrared image.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Jae Hun

Classifications

• B23K2101/18

  Sheet panels · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• G01J5/0018 Primary

  Flames, plasma or welding · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• B23K11/3009

  Pressure electrodes · CPC title