Multi-row type online internal quality inspection device

• US 6,520,311 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hiromu Maeda, Kazuo Haraguchi
• Original Assignee: Hiromu Maeda, Kazuo Haraguchi
• Inventors: Maeda, Hiromu, Haraguchi, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, RASHMI K
• Application Number:
  US09/916,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 198/339.1, 198/458, 414/222.01, 250/223, 209/576, 209/577, 209/588, 209/587, 209/912, 209/938, 209/939
• US Class Current: 198/339.1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/02 Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3416 according to radiation transmissivity, e.g. for light, x-rays, particle radiation detecting hidden objects G01V
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0211 Fruits and vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/26 arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/715 to a broader conveyor lane
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/89 in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/912 Endless feed conveyor with means for holding each item individually

Abstract

A multi-row type internal quality inspection device is arranged to adjust spacing intervals between the columns of receiving trays arranged in rows on a conveyer to the column spacing intervals of a supply conveyor at the start part on the entrance side of a transport path; to have the spacing intervals between the receiving trays become wider at an inspection area provided at an intermediate part of the transport path to allow light projecting means and light receiving means to be arranged there in the lateral direction with respect to inspection objects on the receiving trays for adequate inspection of internal quality of the objects through transmission light obtained through them; and, at the end point on the exit side of the transport path, to have the spacing intervals narrowed and adjusted to the column spacing internals of a conveyor of a next process of sorting on the exit side of the transport path. The receiving trays are arranged to be laterally movable on mounting bars which are mounted on conveyor chains in parallel and spaced at a predetermined distance. Guide pins protruding downward from the receiving trays and guide rails disposed below the path of the receiving trays are arranged to gradually widen and narrow the column spacing intervals between the objects. At the inspection area, therefore, the internal quality of the objects can be adequately inspected by light projecting means and light receiving means.

Claims

1. A multi-row type online internal quality inspection device comprising:

transport means for conveying a plurality of inspection objects in a plurality of rows, said transport means including an inspection area;

light projecting means arranged at predetermined positions in said inspection area to project light rays on the inspection objects set side by side in each of said rows and conveyed by said transport means;

light receiving means arranged at said inspection area to receive transmission light coming through said inspection objects,

wherein said transport means comprises a conveyor having left and right conveyor chains endlessly arranged to circularly travel in parallel on left and right sides of said transport means along chain rails;

a plurality of mounting bars arranged in parallel with each other and spaced at a predetermined interval in the direction of travel of said conveyor, two ends of each of said mounting bars being held by said conveyor chains on the left and right sides of said transport means;

a plurality of receiving trays carried by said mounting bars to be shiftable by said mounting bars in parallel with said mounting bars and arranged in a plurality of columns spaced in the direction of width of said conveyor and in a plurality of rows arranged in the direction of travel of said conveyor, and a plurality of guide rails arranged to guide said receiving trays so as to vary a spacing interval between adjacent columns of receiving trays in the direction of width of said conveyor.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with a loose fitting part which is formed at a lower front part of said tray in the direction of travel of said conveyor and is loosely fitted on the mounting bar located in front of said loose fitting part and with an inserting cutout part which is formed in the rear side face of said receiving tray and is arranged to engage with said mounting bar located in rear of said receiving tray;

and said loose fitting part and said inserting cutout part are arranged in combination to effectively keep each of said receiving trays in a horizontal attitude while the conveyor is horizontally traveling.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with an elastic receiving seat which is fitted into said receiving tray and has a through hole vertically formed in the center part thereof as a transmission light passage and also with a light blocking bottom face which is arranged on the bottom side of said tray to horizontally extend frontward and rearward from said hole;

and by virtue of said light blocking bottom face, said light receiving means can be arranged closer to the lower side face of each of said receiving trays.

7. A device according to claim 3, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with an elastic receiving seat which is fitted into said receiving tray and has a through hole vertically formed in the center part thereof as a transmission light passage and also with a light blocking bottom face which is arranged on the bottom side of said tray to horizontally extend frontward and rearward from said hole;

and by virtue of said light blocking bottom face, said light receiving means can be arranged closer to the lower side face of each of said receiving trays.

2. A multi-row type online internal quality inspection device comprising:

transport means arranged to convey many inspection objects in a plurality of rows and to include an inspection area;

light projecting means arranged in predetermined positions at said inspection area to project light rays on the inspection objects set side by side in each of said rows and conveyed by said transport means; and

light receiving means arranged at said inspection area to receive transmission light coming through said inspection objects, and

wherein said transport means includes a conveyor having left and right conveyor chains endlessly arranged to circularly travel in parallel on left and right sides of said transport means along chain rails;

a plurality of mounting bars arranged in parallel with each other and spaced at predetermined intervals in the direction of travel of said conveyor, two ends of each of said mounting bars being held by said conveyor chains on the left and right sides of said transport means;

a plurality of receiving trays carried by said mounting bars to be shiftable by said mounting bars in parallel with said mounting bars and arranged in a plurality of columns spaced in the direction of width of said conveyor and in a plurality of rows arranged in the direction of travel of said conveyor, said receiving trays being provided with guide pins which protrudes downward; and

a plurality of guide rails arranged to guide said guide pins of said receiving trays to move said receiving trays of each row in parallel with said mounting bars in such a way as to have said receiving trays of each row come closer to each other by narrowing spacing intervals between adjacent columns of receiving trays at a transport start end of said conveyor, to gradually make the receiving tray spacing intervals wider as each row of the receiving trays is brought closer to said inspection area from said transport start end by the travel of said conveyor and, when said conveyor travels from said inspecting area to the end of transport, to cause the spacing intervals between the columns of said receiving trays to become narrower and to be equal to the column spacing intervals of a conveyor which is provided for a next process.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with a loose fitting part which is formed at a lower front part of said tray in the direction of travel of said conveyor and is loosely fitted on the mounting bar located in front of said loose fitting part and with an inserting cutout part which is formed in the rear side face of said receiving tray and is arranged to engage with said mounting bar located in rear of said receiving tray;

and said loose fitting part and said inserting cutout part are arranged in combination to effectively keep each of said receiving trays in a horizontal attitude while the conveyor is horizontally traveling.

6. A device according to claim 2, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with an elastic receiving seat which is fitted into said receiving tray and has a through hole vertically formed in the center part thereof as a transmission light passage and also with a light blocking bottom face which is arranged on the bottom side of said tray to horizontally extend frontward and rearward from said hole;

and by virtue of said light blocking bottom face, said light receiving means can be arranged closer to the lower side face of each of said receiving trays.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein each of said receiving trays is provided with an elastic receiving seat which is fitted into said receiving tray and has a through hole vertically formed in the center part thereof as a transmission light passage and also with a light blocking bottom face which is arranged on the bottom side of said tray to horizontally extend frontward and rearward from said hole;

and by virtue of said light blocking bottom face, said light receiving means can be arranged closer to the lower side face of each of said receiving trays.