JP7571532B2 - Inspection Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an inspection device.

There is known a technique in which a camera captures an image of a feature point on the surface of an object to be inspected, and inspection is performed based on the feature points contained in the captured image. For example, JP 2005-024543 A describes a machine for inspecting a heel code on the side of a bottle. The machine has a camera, an annular ring light, and a mirror. The camera is positioned vertically below the bottle. The annular ring light irradiates an annular beam of light onto the heel code of the bottle. The mirror has a concave surface positioned below the annular ring light. The concave surface of the mirror reflects light reflected by the heel code into the image area of the camera.
JP 2005-024543 A

Incidentally, the top surface of the object to be inspected may also have feature points that represent specific information. With conventional technology, the side and top surface of the bottle cannot be captured simultaneously by a camera. For this reason, if it is desired to detect feature points on the top surface of the object to be inspected, it is necessary to install another camera, which can lead to problems such as an increase in the size and cost of the equipment.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that uses a single camera to capture images of each feature point on the top and sides of a container and properly inspects the container based on the images obtained.

In order to solve the above problem, an inspection device for an object having a top surface and a side surface includes a camera, a mirror, a detection unit, and a judgment unit. The camera has an imaging axis that intersects with the top surface. The camera captures an image of a first feature point on the top surface and a second feature point on the side surface of the object to be inspected. The mirror is located outside the object to be inspected. The mirror guides the second feature point to the camera by reflecting it. The detection unit detects the first feature point and the second feature point in the image captured by the camera. The judgment unit performs judgment processing based on the first feature point and the second feature point detected by the detection unit.

With this inspection device, the image of the second feature point on the side of the object to be inspected can be guided to the camera by a mirror. This allows the first feature point on the top surface and the second feature point on the side to be captured by a single camera. A judgment process can be performed on the container based on the first feature point and the second feature point detected in the image captured by the camera.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an inspection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a plurality of containers transported by the transport device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a camera and a mirror provided in the inspection device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an inspection image captured by a camera. FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually showing the correction process performed by the image correction unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram conceptually showing the registration information. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the mirror. FIG. 9 is a side view showing an inspection device according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those components alone. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding.

In the following description, the direction parallel to the imaging axis 31 of the camera 3 is referred to as the "axial direction." Of the axial directions, one of the axial directions from the container 9 to the camera 3 is referred to as the "axial upward direction," and the other of the axial directions from the camera 3 to the container 9 is referred to as the "axial downward direction." In addition, the direction perpendicular to the imaging axis 31 is referred to as the "radial direction." Of the radial directions, one of the radial directions approaching the imaging axis 31 is referred to as the "radial inward direction," and the other radial direction away from the imaging axis 31 is referred to as the "radial outward direction." Furthermore, the direction along the arc centered on the imaging axis 31 is referred to as the "circumferential direction." The above "parallel direction" also includes a direction that is approximately parallel. In addition, the above "orthogonal direction" also includes a direction that is approximately perpendicular.

1. Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a side view showing an inspection device 1 of the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a plurality of containers 9 transported by a transport device 2. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a camera 3 and a mirror 4 provided in the inspection device 1.

The inspection device 1 is a device that inspects the container 9 transported by the transport device 2. The transport device 2 is configured separately from the inspection device 1, but may be configured as a part of the inspection device 1.

The conveying device 2 is a device that holds the container 9, which is the object to be inspected, and conveys the container 9 in a conveying direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The conveying device 2 is a belt conveyor, and has an endless belt 21 and a plurality of rollers 23. The plurality of rollers 23 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction. The endless belt 21 is stretched around the plurality of rollers 23.

Each roller 23 can rotate around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. At least some of the rollers 23 rotate by receiving a driving force from a motor (not shown). When some of the rollers 23 are rotated by the motor, the endless belt 21 rotates around the rollers 23.

The containers 9 are placed one by one on the top surface of the endless belt 21 by another device. The conveying device 2 is capable of conveying multiple containers 9 simultaneously. In the example shown in FIG. 2, multiple containers 9 are conveyed by the conveying device 2 with a predetermined interval between them in the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 2 conveys each container 9 so that each container 9 passes through the field of view FV1 of the camera 3 of the inspection device 1. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the container 9 is located at a predetermined inspection position L1 in the conveying direction by the conveying device 2.

<Container>
The container 9 is an example of an object to be inspected. The following describes the container 9 being transported by the transport device 2. The container 9 has a container body 91 and a lid 93. The container body 91 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. More specifically, the container body 91 is cylindrical with a bottom. The surface of the container body 91 facing radially outward is a side surface 911 of the container 9. The surface of the container body 91 facing axially downward is a bottom surface 913 of the container 9. The lid 93 is located at the axial upper end of the container body 91. The surface of the lid 93 facing axially upward is a top surface 931 of the container 9.

The side surface 911 of the container 9 has a shape in which the outer diameter gradually increases going axially upward. The top surface 931 and the bottom surface 913 of the container 9 are parallel to each other. The top surface 931 and the bottom surface 913 are parallel to the horizontal plane. The top surface 931 and the bottom surface 913 have a circular shape. The diameter of the top surface 931 is larger than the diameter of the bottom surface 913. In other words, the container 9 has a truncated cone shape. Note that the shape of the container 9 may be other than a truncated cone shape, such as a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape.

The first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 represent information about the container 9. The information about the container 9 is, for example, information representing the type of container 9 (such as the contents of the container 9, the product name, or the product number). The first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 are composed of characters, figures, or a combination of characters and figures. The first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 may be a one-dimensional code (such as a barcode) that has information in only one direction, or a two-dimensional code that has information in two directions.

In this embodiment, the first feature point F1 is configured as a logo of stylized letters (specifically, "ABC"). The second feature point F2 is configured as a matrix code, which is a two-dimensional code. A matrix code is information in a display format in which figures such as squares are arranged two-dimensionally in the up, down, left, and right directions.

The inspection device 1 includes a camera 3. The camera 3 is, for example, a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. The image captured by the camera 3 may be a color image or a monochrome grayscale image. The camera 3 outputs the captured image (inspection image M1) to the control unit 7.

The camera 3 has an imaging axis 31. The imaging axis 31 is a virtual line that bisects the angle of view of the camera 3. The imaging axis 31 of the camera 3 intersects with the top surface 931 of the container 9 held by the conveying device 2, and more preferably is perpendicular to the top surface 931. The camera 3 captures an image of a first feature point F1 and a second feature point F2 on the container 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the container 9 is in the inspection position L1, the side surface 911 of the container 9 is located behind (axially below) the top surface 931 of the container 9 as viewed from the camera 3. This makes it difficult for the camera 3 to directly image the second feature point F2 provided on the side surface 911 of the container 9. Therefore, the inspection device 1 uses a mirror 4, which will be described later, to image the second feature point F2 with the camera 3.

The camera 3 may be configured to capture images at a predetermined time interval. The camera 3 may also be configured to capture images when each container 9 reaches a predetermined inspection position L1 (see FIG. 1) in the conveying direction. In this case, the inspection device 1 may be equipped with a position sensor that detects when the container 9 reaches the inspection position L1. As shown in FIG. 1, by aligning the inspection position L1 with the imaging axis 31, images of the container 9 can be captured well.

The inspection device 1 includes a mirror 4. The mirror 4 reflects the second feature point F2 provided on the side surface 911 of the container 9, thereby directing an image of the second feature point F2 to the camera 3.

More specifically, the mirror 4 includes a first mirror 41 and a second mirror 42. The first mirror 41 has a first reflecting surface 41S. The second mirror 42 has a second reflecting surface 42S. As shown in FIG. 3, the first reflecting surface 41S and the second reflecting surface 42S have an annular shape surrounding the imaging axis 31, and preferably have a circular annular shape.

In the axial direction, the second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42 is located between the first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41 and the camera 3. The first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41 is located farther from the imaging axis 31 than the second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42.

The first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41 faces radially inward. The second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42 faces radially outward. The first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41 reflects the image of the second feature point F2 of the container 9 and guides it to the second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42. The second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42 reflects the image of the second feature point F2 emitted from the first mirror 41 further closer to the imaging axis 31. In this way, the second mirror 42 reflects the image of the second feature point F2, so that the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 of the container 9 can be captured at the same time even if the field of view of the camera 3 is narrow. Therefore, the resolution of the camera 3 can be increased compared to when the field of view is widened by a wide-angle lens or the like.

By using the first mirror 41 and the second mirror 42, the image of the second feature point F2 can be more easily guided to the camera than when a single mirror is used.

The first reflecting surface 41S and the second reflecting surface 42S each have a truncated cone shape. More specifically, the first reflecting surface 41S is inclined radially outward toward the axially upward direction. The second reflecting surface 42S is inclined radially outward toward the axially downward direction. The central axis of the first reflecting surface 41S and the central axis of the second reflecting surface 42S are preferably common. In addition, the central axis of the first reflecting surface 41S and the central axis of the second reflecting surface 42S are preferably common to the imaging axis 31.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first mirror 41 is located axially closer to the camera 3 than the top surface 931 of the container 9. In other words, the first mirror 41 is located axially above the top surface 931 of the container 9. This arrangement makes it possible to prevent the first mirror 41 from interfering with the container 9 even if the conveying device 2 moves the container 9 in a direction perpendicular to the imaging axis 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the second mirror 42 is located radially inward from the first mirror 41. This allows the field of view of the camera 3 to be narrowed, thereby increasing the resolution of the camera.

The first mirror 41 and the second mirror 42 are located outside the container 9. More specifically, at least a portion of the first mirror 41 and the second mirror 42 is located radially outward of the boundary line BL1 connecting the camera 3 and the edge of the top surface 931 of the container 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 1 includes an illumination unit 5. The illumination unit 5 illuminates the outer surface of the container 9 transported by the transport device 2. The illumination unit 5 has an LED or a fluorescent lamp as a light source.

The lighting unit 5 has a first lighting unit 51 and a second lighting unit 52. The first lighting unit 51 and the second lighting unit 52 are located axially above the top surface 931 of the container 9 in the axial direction. The first lighting unit 51 and the second lighting unit 52 are located axially below the camera 3 in the axial direction. The first lighting unit 51 is located above the second lighting unit 52 in the axial direction. The first lighting unit 51 illuminates the top surface 931 of the container 9, thereby illuminating the first characteristic point F1. The second lighting unit 52 illuminates the side surface of the container 9, thereby illuminating the second characteristic point F2.

The first illumination unit 51 is, for example, a ring illumination. A ring illumination is an illumination device equipped with a ring-shaped (more preferably, circular) light source that surrounds the imaging axis. The first illumination unit 51 illuminates the top surface 931 of the container 9, so that the first feature point F1 located on the top surface 931 can be well imaged by the camera 3. Furthermore, by making the first illumination unit 51 a ring illumination, the top surface 931 of the container 9 can be illuminated from all directions of 360°. Therefore, even if the orientation of the container 9 relative to the inspection device 1 changes in the circumferential direction, the first feature point F1 located on the top surface 931 of the container 9 can be effectively illuminated.

The second illumination unit 52 is composed of multiple line lights arranged circumferentially so as to surround the imaging axis. The line lights are lighting fixtures equipped with linear light sources. The second illumination unit 52 illuminates the side surface 911 of the container 9, so that the second feature point F2 located on the side surface 911 can be well imaged by the camera 3. Furthermore, by configuring the second illumination unit 52 with multiple line lights, the side surface 911 of the container 9 can be illuminated from multiple directions. Therefore, even if the orientation of the container 9 relative to the inspection device 1 changes in the circumferential direction, the second feature point F2 located on the side surface 911 of the container 9 can be effectively illuminated.

The first illumination unit 51 may be configured with multiple line lights, similar to the second illumination unit 52. The second illumination unit 52 may be configured with a ring light, similar to the first illumination unit 51.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner diameters of the first illumination unit 51 and the second illumination unit 52 are preferably larger than the outer diameter of the top surface 931 of the container 9. This makes it possible to prevent a portion of the top surface 931 of the container 9 at the inspection position L1 from being hidden by the first illumination unit 51 or the second illumination unit 52 within the field of view FV1 of the camera 3. Therefore, the top surface 931 of the container 9 can be well imaged by the camera 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second mirror 42 preferably overlaps with the first illumination unit 51 in the axial direction. Also, the second mirror 42 is preferably positioned axially above the first illumination unit 51. With this arrangement, the second mirror 42 can hide the first illumination unit 51 within the field of view FV1 of the camera 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the radially inner end of the second mirror 42 is preferably positioned closer to the imaging axis 31 than the radially inner end of the illumination unit 5. Also, the first mirror 41 is preferably positioned radially outward from the illumination unit 5.

It is not essential that the illumination unit 5 includes the first illumination unit 51 and the second illumination unit 52. For example, the illumination unit 5 may be configured with only the first illumination unit 51. In this case, the first illumination unit 51 may be configured with one ring illumination, and the side surface 911 and the top surface 931 of the container 9 may be illuminated by the one ring illumination. At this time, the light of the ring illumination may be directly irradiated onto the side surface 911 and the top surface 931 of the container 9, or the light of the ring illumination may be irradiated onto the side surface 911 and the top surface 931 of the container 9 via a diffusion plate (not shown). In this way, by using a diffusion plate, even with one illumination, the light can be more uniformly irradiated onto the side surface 911 and the top surface 931 of the container 9, and the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 can be clearly imaged.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 1 includes a convex lens 6. The convex lens 6 forms an image of the top surface 931 of the container 9, including the first feature point F1, on the camera 3. The convex lens 6 has a flat lower surface and an upper surface that is convex upward in the axial direction. The convex lens 6 is located on the imaging axis 31. The optical axis of the convex lens 6 is parallel to the imaging axis 31. Preferably, the imaging axis 31 coincides with the center (optical axis) of the convex lens 6.

By providing the convex lens 6, the optical path length of the light directly incident on the camera 3 from the top surface 931 of the container 9 can be adjusted to match the optical path length of the light incident on the camera 3 from the side surface 911 of the container 9 via the mirror 4. This allows the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 to be clearly imaged, even if they are imaged together by a single camera 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 1 includes a control unit 7. The control unit 7 includes a processor 71, a ROM 73, a RAM 75, and a storage unit 77. The processor 71 is composed of a CPU or a GPU, etc. The ROM 73, the RAM 75, and the storage unit 77 are electrically connected to the processor 71 via a bus wiring. The ROM 73 is a read-only memory and stores a basic program. The RAM 75 is a readable and writable memory and stores various information. The storage unit 77 is a non-transitory recording medium such as a hard disk drive, and stores a program P. The control unit 7 is electrically connected to the camera 3.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 7. When the processor 71 executes the program P, the control unit 7 functions as an image correction unit 711, a detection unit 713, and a determination unit 715. Note that a dedicated circuit (such as an ASIC) may be provided instead of the processor 71. The image correction unit 711, the detection unit 713, or the determination unit 715 may be realized in hardware.

The image correction unit 711 corrects distortion of the image captured by the camera 3. The detection unit 713 detects a first characteristic point F1 and a second characteristic point F2 of the container 9 in the image captured by the camera 3. The determination unit 715 performs a determination process regarding the container 9 based on the first characteristic point F1 and the second characteristic point F2 detected by the detection unit 713.

A display 791 and an input device 793 are connected to the control unit 7. The display 791 is a device that displays various information. The input device 793 is a device that allows the user to input various information to the control unit 7. The input device 793 includes a mouse or a keyboard. The display 791 may function as an input device by configuring the display 791 as a touch panel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an inspection image M1 captured by the camera 3. The inspection image M1 includes a first image M11 and a second image M12. The first image M11 is an image of the top surface 931 of the container 9. The first image M11 has an image of the first feature point F1. The second image M12 is an image of the side surface 911 of the container 9 reflected by the first mirror 41 and the second mirror 42. Therefore, the second image M12 has an image of the second feature point F2. As shown in FIG. 5, when the second mirror 42 is annular, the second image M12 becomes annular. The detection unit 713 detects an image of the first feature point F1 in the first image M11 of the inspection image M1. The detection unit 713 also detects an image of the second feature point F2 in the second image M12 of the inspection image M1. The method of detecting the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 is not particularly limited. For example, the detection unit 713 may detect edges using the Canny algorithm, and extract the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 from the detected edges using template matching.

FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the correction process by the image correction unit 711. The image correction unit 711 may correct the first image M11 or the second image M12. Specifically, the image correction unit 711 may perform rotation correction, keystone correction, color correction, or enlargement/reduction correction. The image correction unit 711 may also perform correction to convert the second image M12, which is annular, into a linear shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the image correction unit 711 performs image correction to obtain the second feature point F2 whose shape has been corrected. This allows the detection unit 713 to detect the second feature point F2 well.

The determination unit 715 performs a determination process based on the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 detected by the detection unit 713. The determination unit 715 determines whether or not the combination of the information represented by the first feature point F1 and the information represented by the second feature point F2 is appropriate.

For example, if there are multiple types of containers 9, the first characteristic point F1 and the second characteristic point F2 may be information for identifying the type of container 9. In this case, the storage unit 77 stores registration information R1 corresponding to each of the first characteristic point F1 and the second characteristic point F2 for each type of container 9.

Figure 7 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the registered information R1. In the example shown in Figure 7, there are a first variety, a second variety, and a third variety as the types of container 9. Images of the first characteristic points F1 (first characteristic points F1a, F1b, F1c) corresponding to each of the first to third varieties, and images of the second characteristic points F2 (second characteristic points F2a, F2b, F2c) corresponding to each of the first to third varieties are registered as the registered information R1.

The determination unit 715 identifies the type of container 9 by searching the registered information R1 for an image that matches the first feature point F1 detected by the detection unit 713. The determination unit 715 also identifies the type of container 9 by searching the registered information R1 for an image that matches the second feature point F2 detected by the detection unit 713. The determination unit 715 then determines whether the type of container 9 identified based on the first feature point F1 matches the type of container 9 identified based on the second feature point F2.

If the second feature point F2 is a coded character string, the storage unit 77 may store the character string represented by the second feature point F2 as the registered information R1. In this case, the determination unit 715 converts the second feature point F2 detected by the detection unit 713 into a character string by image processing, and searches for the acquired character string in the registered information R1. In this way, the determination unit 715 may identify the type of container 9 represented by the second feature point F2.

If the determination unit 715 determines that the information represented by the first feature point F1 and the information represented by the second feature point F2 do not match, the control unit 7 may cause a specified output device to output information indicating the non-match. The output device is, for example, a display 791 that displays an image, a printer (not shown) that outputs an image, a warning light, or a speaker that emits a warning sound. In addition, in the output process, the control unit 7 may store in the RAM 75 or the memory unit 77 a log indicating that a specific container 9 has been determined to be non-matching.

As described above, the inspection device 1 can guide the image of the second feature point F2 on the side surface 911 of the container 9 to the camera 3 using the mirror 4. Therefore, the first feature point F1 on the top surface 931 of the container 9 and the second feature point F2 on the side surface 911 of the container 9 can be captured by a single camera 3. Furthermore, the inspection device 1 can perform a judgment process regarding the container 9 based on the first feature point F1 and the second feature point F2 detected in the inspection image M1 acquired by the camera 3.

2. Modifications
Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

<Modifications of the mirror>
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the mirror 4. The mirror 4 shown in Fig. 8 includes a first mirror 41a instead of the first mirror 41. Moreover, the mirror 4 shown in Fig. 8 includes a second mirror 42a instead of the second mirror 42. The first mirror 41a reflects an image of the side surface 911 of the container 9 to the second mirror 42a. Moreover, the second mirror 42a reflects the image emitted by the first mirror 41a and guides it to the camera 3.

The first mirror 41a has a plurality of (e.g., five) first plane mirrors 411 (sub-mirrors). The plurality of first plane mirrors 411 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each first plane mirror 411 has a planar first reflecting surface 41Sa. The first reflecting surface 41Sa faces radially inward. Each first reflecting surface 41Sa is inclined radially outward toward the axially upward direction. The first plane mirror 411 and the first reflecting surface 41Sa are long in the circumferential direction and short in the axial direction. The first reflecting surface 41Sa has, for example, a rectangular shape.

By employing a first plane mirror 411 that is elongated in the circumferential direction, it becomes easier to image the second feature point F2 on the side surface 911 of the container 9. In addition, the number of first plane mirrors 411 required to image the second feature point F2 can be reduced. This allows the number of parts in the inspection device 1 to be reduced, thereby lowering the device cost.

The second mirror 42a has a plurality of (e.g., five) second plane mirrors 421. The plurality of second plane mirrors 421 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each second plane mirror 421 has a planar second reflection surface 42Sa. The second reflection surface 42Sa faces radially outward. Each second reflection surface 42Sa is inclined radially inward toward the axially upward direction. The second plane mirror 421 and the second reflection surface 42Sa are long in the axial direction and short in the circumferential direction. The second reflection surface 42Sa has, for example, a rectangular shape.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first plane mirrors 411 and the second plane mirrors 421 are provided in one-to-one correspondence. That is, the number of first plane mirrors 411 is the same as the number of second plane mirrors 421. In the circumferential direction, the second plane mirrors 421 are located at the same position as the corresponding first plane mirror 411. In this way, each first plane mirror 411 can guide an image of the side surface 911 of the container 9 to the corresponding second plane mirror 421.

The first reflecting surface 41Sa of the first mirror 41a reflects the image of the second feature point F2 of the container 9 and guides it to the second reflecting surface 42Sa of the second mirror 42a. The second reflecting surface 42Sa of the second mirror 42a further reflects the image of the second feature point F2 emitted from the first mirror 41 closer to the imaging axis 31.

When the first mirror 41a is used, the image of the second feature point F2 on the side surface 911 of the container 9 may be incident on two adjacent first plane mirrors 411, causing two images of the second feature point F2 to appear in the inspection image M1. For this reason, the detection unit 713 may detect the image of the second feature point F2 that has the smaller distortion (deformation). In this case, the detection unit 713 may quantify the distortion of the second feature point F2 based on the curvature of the edge in the inspection image M1.

<Modifications of the First and Second Feature Points>
In the embodiment, the first characteristic point F1 and the second characteristic point F2 are information representing one of a plurality of types of container 9. However, the first characteristic point F1 and the second characteristic point F2 may be any information related to the container 9. The information related to the container 9 may be manufacturing information (manufacturing date, lot number, etc.) or information related to the contents of the container 9, such as a consumption date or a best-before date.

In the embodiment, the determination process executed by the determination unit 715 determines whether the information represented by the first feature point F1 matches the second feature point F2, but is not limited to this process. For example, the determination unit 715 may determine whether the first feature point F1 matches specified information, or whether the second feature point F2 matches specified information. For example, if the first feature point F1 is information representing the date of manufacture, the determination unit 715 may determine whether the date of manufacture represented by the first feature point F1 is appropriate.

In the embodiment, the first mirror 41 and the first mirror 41a are arranged axially above the top surface 931 of the container 9, but they may also be arranged axially below the top surface 931 of the container 9.

In the embodiment, the container 9 is imaged while being transported by the transport device 2, but it may also be imaged while the container 9 is stationary. For example, a stage may be provided in place of the transport device 2, and the container 9 may be placed on the stage and imaged.

9 is a side view of the inspection device 1 according to the modified example. In the inspection device 1 according to the modified example, the container 9 is placed on the upper surface of the disk-shaped base 101. The first mirror 41 is located axially lower than the top surface 931 of the container 9 and axially lower than the upper surface of the base 101. A part of the first mirror 41 is located radially outward from the boundary line BL1. The second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42 faces radially inward. The first mirror 41 and the second mirror 42 may each be composed of one mirror, or may be composed of multiple mirrors arranged in the circumferential direction. In this modified example, the image of the second feature point F2 provided on the side surface 911 of the container 9 passes axially outward from the base 101 and is reflected by the first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41. Then, the image of the second feature point F2 is reflected by the second reflecting surface 42S of the second mirror 42 and guided to the camera 3. The base 101 may be composed of a transparent member. This prevents the image of the second feature point F2 of the container 9 from being blocked by the base 101 and being unable to enter the first reflecting surface 41S of the first mirror 41.

Although this invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all respects and does not limit the invention. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be imagined without departing from the scope of this invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments and variations can be combined or omitted as appropriate as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

This invention can be used in inspection devices.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Inspection device 3 Camera 31 Imaging axis 4 Mirror 41, 41a First mirror 411 First plane mirror (sub-mirror)
41S, 41Sa First reflecting surface 42, 42a Second mirror 5 Illumination section 51 First illumination section 52 Second illumination section 6 Convex lens 711 Image correction section 713 Detection section 715 Determination section 77 Memory section 9 Container 911 Side surface 931 Top surface F1 First feature point F2 Second feature point M1 Inspection image

Claims (13)

An inspection apparatus for an inspection object having a top surface and a side surface,
a camera having an imaging axis intersecting the top surface of the object to be inspected, the camera imaging a first feature point of the top surface and a second feature point of the side surface;
a mirror positioned outside the inspection object and reflecting the second feature point toward the camera;
a detection unit that detects the first feature point and the second feature point in an image captured by the camera;
a determination unit that performs a determination process based on the first feature point and the second feature point detected by the detection unit;
An illumination unit that illuminates the inspection object,
The mirror includes a first mirror and a second mirror,
the first mirror is located above the top surface and below the camera in an axial direction parallel to the imaging axis,
the second mirror is located between the first mirror and the camera in an axial direction parallel to the imaging axis,
the first mirror is located farther from the imaging axis than the second mirror in a radial direction perpendicular to the imaging axis,
the illumination unit is disposed above the top surface in an axial direction parallel to the imaging axis and on the imaging axis side of the first mirror,
An inspection device, wherein the second mirror overlaps with at least a portion of the illumination unit in an axial direction parallel to the imaging axis and is positioned closer to the camera than the illumination unit. 2. The inspection device according to claim 1,
the illumination portion is annular;
An inspection apparatus, wherein an inner diameter of the illumination unit is larger than an outer diameter of the top surface. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2,
An inspection device, wherein a radially inner end of the second mirror perpendicular to the imaging axis is positioned closer to the imaging axis than a radially inner end of the illumination unit perpendicular to the imaging axis. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2,
a reflecting surface of the first mirror reflecting the image emitted from the second feature point toward the imaging axis;
An inspection apparatus, wherein the reflective surface of the second mirror reflects the image emitted from the first mirror further toward the imaging axis. The inspection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
The first mirror is composed of a plurality of sub-mirrors arranged in a circumferential direction,
An inspection apparatus, wherein the sub-mirror is elongated in a circumferential direction. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
a convex lens located on the imaging axis and configured to form an image of the first feature point on the camera;
The inspection device further comprises: The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
an image correction unit that corrects distortion of the image captured by the camera;
The inspection device further comprises: 7. The inspection device according to claim 6,
the convex lens overlaps with the second mirror in a radial direction perpendicular to the imaging axis, and is disposed closer to the imaging axis than the second mirror. 2. The inspection device according to claim 1,
An inspection apparatus, wherein the illumination unit includes an annular ring illumination that surrounds the imaging axis. The inspection device according to claim 1 or claim 9 ,
The illumination unit includes:
a first illumination unit that illuminates the first feature point of the inspection object;
and a second illumination unit that illuminates the second feature point of the object to be inspected. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The inspection apparatus further comprises a storage unit configured to store information corresponding to at least one of the first feature point or the second feature point. 12. The inspection device according to claim 11,
one of the first feature point and the second feature point represents a type of the inspection object;
An inspection apparatus, wherein the memory unit stores information corresponding to a type of the inspection object that can be represented by either the first feature point or the second feature point. 13. The inspection device according to claim 12,
The determination unit executes a process of determining whether a combination of information corresponding to the first feature point and information corresponding to the second feature point is appropriate.

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