Work visual inspection device and work visual inspection method

{
  "publication_number": "US9838608B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Work visual inspection device and work visual inspection method",
  "abstract": "The work, visual inspection device 30 composes a conveyance table 2 which holds and conveys works W 1 and W 2 and camera units 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 which capture images of the works conveyed by the conveyance table, The camera 91/101 of the camera units 9 and 10 includes a first body tube 91 C/ 101 C including an imaging lens 91 L/ 101 L and a second body tube 91 Ca/ 101 a attached to the front end of the first body tube 91 C/ 101 C. The second body tube 91 Ca/ 101 Ca includes a glass plate 91 G/ 101 G for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A work visual inspection device comprising: a work conveyance module which holds and conveys works including a first work and a second work of a shape different from that of the first work, the side surfaces of the first and second works facing the outside of the work conveyance module being situated on a same plane or being situated on a tangential line of a work conveyance arc; and a work imaging module which captures images of the works conveyed by the work conveyance module, wherein the work imaging module includes: a first front body tube including an imaging lens for capturing an image of a front surface of the work and sending the image to a light receiving element, and a second front body tube attached to an end of the first front body tube, the end of the first front body tube being the one in the vicinity of the imaging lens, and including a transparent member for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other, wherein the second front body tube is attached to the first front body tube by screwing the second front body tube into the first front body tube without changing a focal length of the imaging lens or a length between the imaging lens and the light receiving element when changing a work to be inspected from the first work to the second work; a first side body tube including an imaging lens for capturing an image of a side surface of the work, and a second side body tube attached to an end of the first side body tube, the end of the first side body tube being the one in the vicinity of the imaging lens, and including a transparent member for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other, wherein the second side body tube is attached to the first side body tube by screwing the second side body tube into the first side body tube when changing a work to be inspected from the first work to the second work; wherein a difference between a distance Li 2 between a center of the imaging lens and an inner surface of the second work to be captured in an image after a work type change and a distance Li 1 between the center of the imaging lens and the inner surface of the first work captured in an image before the work type change, namely, a difference ΔLi is within a range of a depth of field of the imaging lens, wherein the depth of field is a focal range of the imaging lens for capturing an image in a focused state even when the first and second works are positioned slightly closer to or farther from a focal position of the imaging lens.",
    "2. The work visual inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member is formed of a glass plate.",
    "3. A work visual inspection method comprising: a work conveyance step of holding and conveying works with a work conveyance module; and a work imaging step of capturing an image of the conveyed work with a work imaging module, wherein the work imaging step includes: a first front work imaging step of allowing the work imaging module to capture an image of a front surface of a first work and sending the image to a light receiving element, with the work imaging module including a first front body tube including an imaging lens, and a second front work imaging step of allowing the work imaging module to capture an image of a front surface of a second work of a shape different from the first work, the side surfaces of the first and second works facing the outside of the work conveyance module being situated on a same plane or being situated on a tangential line of a work conveyance arc, with the work imaging module including the first front body tube and a second front body tube, the second front body tube being attached to an end of the first front body tube, the end of the first front body tube being the one in the vicinity of the imaging lens, and including a transparent member for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other, wherein the second front body tube is attached to the first front body tube by screwing the second front body tube into the first front body tube without changing a focal length of the imaging lens or a length between the imaging lens and the light receiving element when changing a work to be inspected from the first work to the second work; a first side work imaging step of allowing the work imaging module to capture an image of a side surface of a first work, with the work imaging module including a first side body tube including an imaging lens, and a second side work imaging step of allowing the work imaging module to capture an image of a side surface of a second work of a shape different from the first work, the side surfaces of the first and second works facing the outside of the work conveyance module being situated on a same plane or being situated on a tangential line of a work conveyance arc, with the work imaging module including the first side body tube and a second side body tube, the second side body tube being attached to an end of the first side body tube, the end of the first side body tube being the one in the vicinity of the imaging lens, and including a transparent member for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other, wherein the second body tube is attached to the first side body tube by screwing the second side body tube into the first side body tube when changing a work to be inspected from the first work to the second work; wherein a difference between a distance Li 2 between a center of the imaging lens and an inner surface of the second work to be captured in an image after a work type change and a distance Li 1 between the center of the imaging lens and an inner surface of the first work captured in an image before the work type change, namely, a difference ΔLi is within a range of a depth of field of the imaging lens, wherein the depth of field is a focal range of the imaging lens for capturing an image in a focused state even when the first and second works are positioned slightly closer to or farther from a focal position of the imaging lens.",
    "4. The work visual inspection method according to claim 3, wherein the transparent member is formed of a glass plate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a work visual inspection device and a work visual inspection method for performing the visual inspection (appearance inspection) on works (e.g., electronic components) by capturing images of surfaces of the works by using a work imaging modulo while conveying the works. In particular, the present invention relates to a work visual inspection device and a work visual inspection method with which the focal point of the work imaging module can be adjusted with ease even when the shape of the inspection object works (works as the object of inspection) is changed.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nThere has been known a work visual inspection device that performs the visual inspection on works (e.g., electronic components each in a hexahedral shape) by setting the works on the top of a rotating disk-shaped transparent glass table, conveying the works by having them drawn to the top of the glass table by electrically charging the under surface of the glass table with a charging module (e.g., ionizer), and capturing images of surfaces of the works by using a work imaging module (see JP-A-2011-133458).\n\nIn such a work visual inspection device, the focal point of the work imaging module has to be adjusted when the shape of the work is changed (e.g., when the inspection object work is changed from a large work to a small work). However, the focal adjustment of the work imaging module requires high-accuracy adjustment work, such as precisely moving a component of the work imaging module along its optical axis.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01N 21/8806",
    "B65G 47/04",
    "G01N 2021/8809",
    "G01N 21/95",
    "G01N 2201/1042",
    "G02B 27/0075",
    "G02B 27/028",
    "G02B 7/04",
    "G06T 7/0004",
    "H04N 23/69",
    "H04N 5/23296",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01N 21/88",
    "G01N 21/95",
    "G02B 27/00",
    "G02B 7/04",
    "G06T 7/00",
    "H04N 5/232",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Tokyo Weld Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hiroaki CHAKI"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-04-11",
  "publication_date": "2017-12-05",
  "grant_date": "2017-12-05",
  "priority_date": "2013-04-12",
  "application_number": "US-201414251110-A",
  "family_id": "50542764",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPS6385561A",
    "JPH03248118A",
    "JPH08304043A",
    "JPH1062677A",
    "EP0840107A2",
    "JP2002267913A",
    "WO2005085812A1",
    "US20090174767A1",
    "US7725018B2",
    "JP5106139B2",
    "CN102079448A",
    "JP2011133458A",
    "US20140183264A1"
  ]
}