Inspection method of electrical part, inspection apparatus of electric junction box and inspection apparatus of terminal fittings

• US 7,006,681 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Maeda, Tatsuya, Miyawaki, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/963,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 382/141, 382143-152, 348/86, 348/87, 348/125, 348/126, 348/94, 356/237.1, 356/237.4, 356/237.5, 378/98.2
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection

Abstract

An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box is provided, by which improper mounting of electric parts can be detected. The inspection apparatus 1 has a CCD camera 5, an image-processing device 7 and a control device 8. The CCD camera picks up images of fuse 14 in the electric junction box 12 as a subject of the inspection. The image-processing device 7 stores an image consulting data 60. The image consulting data 60 includes a plurality of images of each fuse 14 having the same item symbol with regard to every item symbol, the fuses 14 being used in the electric junction box 12. The control device 8 stores normal data indicating the proper item symbol of the fuse 14 to be mounted on a corresponding mount 13. The image-processing device 7 extracts the image most analogous to the image picked up by the CCD camera 5 from the images in the image consulting data. The control device 8 judge the quality of the item symbol of the fuse 14 having the most analogous image on the basis of the normal data.

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box having a plurality of mounts on which electric parts are mounted, for inspecting mounting state of the electric parts, said each electric part having a different mark on an outer surface thereof depending upon an item symbol thereof, the inspection apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image including said mark of the electric part mounted on the mount;

extraction means for (1) storing image consulting data containing a plurality of images including said marks of the electric parts of all the item symbols to be mounted in the electric junction box as a subject of the inspection and normal data indicating the proper item symbols of the electric parts mounted on the corresponding mounts, and for (2) comparing the image including said mark of the electric part mounted on the mount picked up by the image pickup means and the image in the image consulting data, and for (3) extracting the item symbol of the electric part having the most analogous image from the images in the image consulting data; and

judgment means for judging the quality of the mounting state of the electric parts on the mount by comparing the item symbol of the electric part having the most analogous image and said normal data.

2. The inspection apparatus of an electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein the image is a digital information, in which an optical power is indicated with a plurality of grades thereof,

the extraction means compares the image including said mark of the electric part mounted on the mount in the electric junction box as a subject of the inspection and the image in the image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation so that the image having the highest correlation value obtained by the method of normalization correlation out of the images is set up to be said most analogous image, and

the judgment means judges the quality of the mounting state of the electric parts on the mount by comparing the item symbol of the electric part of the image having the highest correlation value and said normal data.

4. The inspection apparatus of an electric junction box according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the judgment means adds the image including said mark of the electric part properly mounted on the mount, out of the electric parts judged improperly mounted on the mount, to the image consulting data.

3. An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box having a plurality of mounts on which electric parts are mounted, for inspecting mounting state of the electric parts, said each electric part having a different mark on an outer surface thereof corresponding to an item symbol thereof, the inspection apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image, including said mark, of an electric part mounted on a mount to be inspected;

extraction means for (1) storing image consulting data including a plurality of item symbols wherein each of the item symbols corresponds to at least one of a plurality of images of non-defective electric parts, and storing normal data including a plurality of mounts to be inspected wherein each of the mounts to be inspected corresponds to at least one proper one of the item symbols, and for (2) comparing the image, including said mark, of the electric part mounted on the mount to be inspected picked up by the image pickup means and the images of the non-defective electric parts in the image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation, and for (3) extracting the highest correlation value out of the correlation values obtained by the method of normalization correlation; and

judgment means for judging the quality of the mounting state of the electric parts on the mount in dependence upon the highest correlation value, the image consulting data, and the normal data.

5. An inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings for inspecting mounting state of the terminal fittings on an insulator, said terminal fittings being mounted at a mount to be inspected on the insulator and an electric wire being pressure-welded to the terminal fittings, the inspection apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image of the terminal fittings mounted at the mount to be inspected on the insulator;

extraction means for (1) storing image consulting data including a plurality of item symbols wherein each of the item symbols corresponds to at least one of a plurality of images of non-defective terminal fittings mounted on the insulator, and storing normal data including a plurality of mounts to be inspected wherein each of the mounts to be inspected corresponds to at least one proper one of the item symbols, and for (2) comparing the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means and the plurality of the images of non-defective terminal fittings in the image consulting data, and for (3) extracting an image most analogous to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means from the images in the image consulting data; and

judgment means for judging the quality of the mounting state of the terminal fittings on the insulator in dependence upon the most analogous image, the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means, the image consulting data, and the normal data.

6. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 5, wherein the image is a digital information, in which an optical power is indicated with a plurality of grades thereof,

the extraction means compares the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means and a plurality of the images in the image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation so that the image having the highest correlation value obtained by the method of normalization correlation out of the images is set up to be said most analogous image,

the judgment means judges the quality of the mounting state of the terminal fittings mounted at the mount to be inspected on the insulator to be good when the correlation value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold and the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means corresponds, according to the normal data, to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected, and

the judgement means judges the quality of the mounting state to be no good when the correlation value is lower than the predetermined threshold or when the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means does not correspond, according to the normal data, to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected.

7. An inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings for inspecting pressure-welding state of an electric wire to the terminal fittings, said terminal fittings being mounted at a mount to be inspected on an insulator and the electric wire being pressure-welded to the terminal fittings, the inspection apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted at the mount to be inspected on the insulator;

extraction means for (1) storing image consulting data including a plurality of item symbols wherein each of the item symbols corresponds to at least one of a plurality of images of non-defective terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator, and storing normal data including a plurality of mounts to be inspected wherein each of the mounts to be inspected corresponds to at least one proper one of the item symbols, and for (2) comparing the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means and the plurality of images of non-defective terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, in the image consulting data, and for (3) extracting an image most analogous to the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means from the images in the image consulting data; and

judgment means for judging the quality of the pressure-welding state of the electric wire to the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator in dependence upon the most analogous image, the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator picked up by the image pickup means, the image consulting data, and the normal data.

8. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 7, wherein the image is a digital information, in which an optical power is indicated with a plurality of grades thereof,

the extraction means compares the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means and the plurality of the images in the image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation so that the image having the highest correlation value obtained by the method of normalization correlation out of the images is set up to be said most analogous image, and

the judgment means judges the quality of the pressure-welding state of the electric wire to the terminal fittings mounted at the mount to be inspected to be good when the correlation value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold and the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means corresponds, according to the normal data, to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected, and

the judgment means judges the quality of the pressure-welding state to be no good when the correlation value is lower than the predetermined threshold or when the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means does not, according to the normal data, correspond to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected.

13. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the terminal fittings has a pressure-welding part to which the electric wire is pressure-welded and a caulking piece for caulking the electric wire,

the image pickup means picks up at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and that of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire,

the image consulting data includes at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and those of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, and

the extraction means compares at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and that of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, which are picked up by the image pickup means, with at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and those of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, which are included in the image consulting data.

9. An inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings for inspecting mounting state of the terminal fittings on an insulator and pressure-welding state of an electric wire, said terminal fittings being mounted at a mount to be inspected on the insulator and the electric wire being pressure-welded to the terminal fittings, the inspection apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image of the terminal fittings mounted at the mount to be inspected on the insulator;

extraction means for (1) storing image consulting data including a plurality of item symbols wherein each of the item symbols corresponds to at least one of a plurality of images of non-defective terminal fittings mounted on the insulator, and storing normal data including a plurality of mounts to be inspected wherein each of the mounts to be inspected corresponds to at least one proper one of the item symbols, and for (2) comparing the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means and the plurality of the images of non-defective terminal fittings in the image consulting data, and for (3) extracting an image most analogous to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means from the images in the image consulting data;

judgment means for judging the quality of the mounting state of the terminal fittings on the insulator in dependence upon the most analogous image, the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means, the image consulting data, and the normal data;

second extraction means for (1) storing second image consulting data containing a plurality of images of a non-defective terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator, and for (2) comparing the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means and a plurality of images of a non-defective terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, in the second image consulting data, and for (3) extracting an image most analogous to the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means from the images in the second image consulting data; and

second judgment means for judging the quality of the pressure-welding state of the electric wire to the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator by comparing the most analogous image and the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, mounted on the insulator picked up by the image pickup means.

10. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 9, wherein the image is a digital information, in which an optical power is indicated with a plurality of grades thereof,

the extraction means compares the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means and a plurality of the image in the image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation so that the image having the highest correlation value obtained by the method of normalization correlation out of the images is set up to be said most analogous image,

the judgment means judges the quality of the mounting state of the terminal fittings on the insulator to be good when the correlation value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold and the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means corresponds, according to the normal data, to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected, and

the judgment means judges the quality of the mounting state to be no good when the correlation value is lower than the predetermined threshold or when the item symbol corresponding to the image of the terminal fittings picked up by the image pickup means does not, according to the normal data, correspond to the proper item symbol for the mount to be inspected,

the second extraction means compares the image of the terminal fittings, to which the electric wire is pressure-welded, picked up by the image pickup means and a plurality of the images in the second image consulting data by a method of normalization correlation so that the image having the highest correlation value obtained by the method of normalization correlation out of the images is set up to be said most analogous image, and

the second judgment means judges the quality of the pressure-welding state of the electric wire to the terminal fittings to be good when the correlation value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold while judges the quality of the pressure- welding state to be no good when the correlation value is lower than the predetermined threshold.

11. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 5, 6, or 10, wherein the terminal fittings has a pressure-welding part to which the electric wire is pressure-welded and a caulking piece for caulking the electric wire,

the image pickup means picks up at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part and that of the caulking piece,

the image consulting data includes at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part and those of the caulking piece, and

the extraction means compares at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part and that of the caulking piece, which are picked up by the image pickup means, with at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part and those of the caulking piece, which are included in the image consulting data.

12. The inspection apparatus of a terminal fittings according to claim 9, or 10, wherein the terminal fittings has a pressure-welding part to which the electric wire is pressure-welded and a caulking piece for caulking the electric wire,

the image pickup means picks up at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and that of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire,

the second image consulting data includes at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and those of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, and

the extraction means compares at least one image out of an image of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and that of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, which are picked up by the image pickup means, with at least one plurality of images out of images of the pressure-welding part to which the electric wire was pressure-welded and those of the caulking piece which caulked the electric wire, which are included in the second image consulting data.